What was going through my mind? My homily on the day quite summarised what occupied my mental faculties at that celebration. I told the pilgrims that this was IT as far as our journey into the heart of the Church was concerned; one cannot get physically any closer to Mother Church than to be seated right before the Chair of the Bishop of Rome in a Eucharistic celebration. But yet, what does this mean for us all? Because millions of other pilgrims have also stood where we were standing, and perhaps most of them did so with utter ignorance about the significance of the moment.

When our hearts and minds are not adequately formed and fashioned in accordance with the faith of the Church, being given the privilege of such significant moments in our life journey may just be nothing more than "casting pearls to swines". The fuller appreciation of such experiences can be attained only when one understands things through the mind of the Church.

What is the significance of this Chair of the Bishop of Rome before which we stood? It represents the teaching office of the Pope, his extraordinary infallibility and the Sacred Magisterium that has guarded the integrity of the Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture all throughout the life of the Church. Through this Chair, the divine guarantee of truth and infallibility has been been operable for almost two hundred centuries.

There I was, preaching a homily about the faith of the Apostles and the necessity of being in communion with them not just in liturgical rite but also in heart, mind and spirit. In a world that exalts absolute freedom of thought and the right of subjective interpretation, this Chair continues to stand there in the Basilica of St John Lateran as a sign of unchanging truth about God, mankind and the world, which purposes to bring us to salvation. The Chair represents an office that is divinely instituted to direct the desire of man towards its rightful goal - the very One who, Himself, instituted the office.

The more observant and analytical Catholics, however, are able to discern that a major "battle" has been ongoing in the Church, especially since the 1960s and the 1970s. It is a battle between those clerics, religious and laity who choose to remain true to the Sacred Tradition of the Church and those who choose the path of departure from much of what the Holy Church teaches to be right and true.

Some very obvious symptoms of liberalism that are observable among Catholic clerics, religious and laity are as follows:

• Overt negative undertones or even outright condemnation in their references towards the Pope and the Holy See, e.g. "Rome is a bully", "The Pope is outdated", etc.

• Fighting for causes that the Catholic Church has pronounced wrong, e.g. ordination of women, same-sex unions, liturgical innovations, etc.

• Defiance of liturgical rubrics against the dictates of the Church's liturgical books because Rome should not have a say in how we choose to celebrate our Mass

• Condemnation of everything Western (often without realising that their negativity towards Rome is a product of their own Western liberal education)

• Flaring up and raising of voices in anger when you cite official Church teachings to them (it's their way of bullying you into submission when they can't win by logic)

Basically, everything Roman and Papal is negative and bad. The Pope should be sacked, and for some extreme ones, the Catholic Church should even be abolished. If you are interested to discover more about liberalism and what it stands for, read this book for a thorough explanation of what it is and why it is wrong (the book is published online).

The funny thing about many liberals is that, when you talk to them, you'll find that they claim to be faithful to the Church and orthodox in their understanding of the faith. It takes a Catholic who is very well-versed with the teachings of the Church to distinguish a liberal from an orthodox Catholic. So among an unsuspecting crowd that is illiterate in matters of the Catholic faith, they pretty much get their way.

There are a few other links here which are worth reading about liberalism:

1. "Liberal Catholicism is Dying"

2. "The Failure of Liberal Catholicism" (Part One)

3. "The Failure of Liberal Catholicism" (Part Two)

The liberals are closer to home than you think. They're all around you. But they won't be around for very much longer (times are changing, and the Church is reforming itself towards orthodoxy), so why not take the opportunity to identify them and get to know them now before they get extinct in the next 20 years or so.

When the book is published and ready for distribution, it can be obtained from Christian bookstores around Singapore and Malaysia as well as some secular stores like MPH. For those who know me personally, I will also have a number of books consigned to me for distribution.

The experience was beautiful, especially watching how over 60 pilgrims cared for one another and held one anothers' hands to prevent one another from falling down throughout the trip. It was truly an expression of our life pilgrimage, in which we need fellow pilgrims to walk alongside us in our moments of weakness and exhaustion.

Renovatio is a Latin word that means 'renewal'. The purpose of this trip was the renewal of the vision of our spiritual heritage. The way in which the trip was designed and the daily formations provided throughout the pilgrimage were meant to help the pilgrims to love the Church and her teachings in a deeper way, thereby loving Christ, her Head.

The MJD Pastoral Institute hopes to organise such formation-pilgrimages on an annual basis for the benefit of prospective pilgrims who desire a deep experience of conversion. We eagerly await Renovatio 2013.

Here is the video footage of our maiden trip:

In recent years, we recognise the heaviness of the cross you've had to bear with the onslaught of many attacks against the Holy Church, internal and external, although we cannot even begin to imagine the magnitude of torment it has caused you. We understand how much more painful it is when some members within your own fold seem to misread the purity of your intentions and misunderstand your endeavours for an authentic renewal in the Church.

On this your 85th anniversary (16 April), we want to affirm that we stand with you in embracing this vision of authentic renewal that is, in your words, "based on radical obedience". We seek to obey in word and deed the teachings of the Holy Church, this being an attitude and virtue which you yourself exemplify. We will strive to commit ourselves continuously to the kerygma of the Church in faith and morals.

We will pray for you and your intentions each day. We assure you, Holy Father, that your Petrine Ministry remains for us a star that guides our way, a light that paves the path into the future of a glorious Church which will present herself pure and beautiful at the coming of her Groom. We continue to look to your Petrine Ministry as an anchor of our souls that will lead us into the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Holy Father, happy birthday and a most blessed anniversary to you. We love you. We love you with our deepest affection. We pray for many more years of your office as our beloved Father of the Church, and as we place ourselves under your gentle and unwavering guidance and help, we remain your sheep and your children. Lead us, we ask you, in the path of Christ, the very path we see you walking each day.

Renovatio is a Latin word that means "renewal". This word has been adopted by the Melaka-Johor Diocesan Pastoral Institute (MJDPI) and taken to refer to a series of annual formation-pilgrimage trips organised by the Institute to provide a renewal experience for participants who join the trip. The purpose of these annual trips will be to help the Catholics in our diocese and beyond to be drawn deeper into the spiritual heritage and faith of the Church.

This year, Renovatio 2012 will take place in Italy, where the pilgrims will begin their journey in Rome. There, they will be affirming their communion with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, at the Papal Audience, whilst also visiting the various Major Basilicas and various other important places. After that, they will be visiting more places in Italy, namely, Assisi, Loreto, Rotondo and Lanciano.

Thorough formation will be given to the pilgrims every night in preparation for their trip the next day. This format of pilgrimage, which makes it what we call a "formation-pilgrimage", is what sets the MJD Pastoral Institute's Renovation apart from other pilgrimage trips offered by various tour agencies.

Here is a preview of some places they will be seeing:

I'm a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order whose original name in the Latin is Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis. Since 1978, members of the English-speaking world had been using the acronym SFO behind their names to indicate that they were professed members of the Order. This was deemed appropriate, since the acronym reflected the correct sequence of the Order's name in English.

A new instruction has been issued in the past couple of months. As some of you are aware, the Secular Franciscan Order holds its Chapter at the International level every three years (every other time, or every six years, is an Elective Chapter). At the General Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order in October 2011, it was decided that the acronym to be used when signing one's name is to be OFS and no longer SFO. The change was adopted in order to provide worldwide uniformity, as we are an international order.

Below is the official statement from the General Minister of the OFS...

ORDO FRANCISCANUS SÆCULARIS
XIII. GENERAL CHAPTER
Saõ Paulo, 2011. October 22-29

THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE ORDER
THE USE AND THE TRANSLATION OF THE NAME OF THE ORDER

1. The official name of the Order is Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis.

2. Translations of the name of the Order

2. 1 The translation of the name of the Order is already made in the four official languages, and these are the ones to be used in these languages, namely in Italian, in English, in Spanish and in French.

2.2 The name can be translated into local languages only when the literal translation from Latin is easily understandable even by the civil society and does not change its meaning or substance.

2.3 When the translation into the national language distorts the meaning of the name, or is linguistically impossible to transfer the genuine meaning, Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis must always be used, which can be followed by expressions to clarify and make more understandable the nature of the Secular Franciscan Order to everyone in the local language.

3. The acronym
The acronym which refers to the name Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis is OFS and is always to be used regardless of the language. For example, when Secular Franciscans use the acronym after their name, they must use “OFS”.

Encarnación del Pozo, OFS
General Minister

Picture: Papal funeral: The body of Pope Shenouda III seated on the throne of Mar Morqos, or St Mark, is seen during his funeral at the Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo on Sunday.

Weeping mourners thronged St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, forming queues that stretched for a mile through the city, in the hope of catching a last glimpse of the man who led the Middle East's largest Christian community for more than 40 years.

Dressed in a golden mitre and vestments rich in brocade, his familiar crosier in his hand, the patriarch's body was propped up on the episcopal cathedra, or throne, in keeping with the Coptic tradition where it will remain until the funeral on Tuesday.

Pope Shenouda died on Saturday after a long illness. He was 88. Aides said the patriarch had suffered from diabetes for many years and had become too frail to take his medication, leading to renal failure.

His death leaves Egypt's Copts, who make up as much as 10 per cent of the country's population of 80 million, facing a period of deep uncertainty.

Under Church law, the process of choosing his successor can take up to three months, though an interim leader will be picked within a week. A synod will then form a committee to come up with three candidates. The names are then put in a box and a blindfolded acolyte picks one – a step meant to be guided by the will of God.

For Coptic Christians, their much loved patriarch was a figure whose ability to command respect from Muslim leaders and secular politicians served to protect a community that has come increasingly vulnerable to Islamic radicalism.

But he was also a symbol of continuity. As the 117th Pope of Alexandria he was, for Copts, the heir to an unbroken apostolic succession dating back to AD 42, when Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second Gospel, is held to have brought Christianity to Egypt.

As Egypt's military rulers declared three days of mourning for all Christians in the country, world religious and secular leaders paid their own tribute.

Pope Benedict XVI recalled the patriarch's meeting with one of his predecessors Paul VI in 1973, the first time the leaders of the Roman Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Churches had met in 1,500 years.

"I recall with gratitude his commitment to Christian Unity," Pope Benedict said.

"I can say how the Catholic Church as a whole shares the grief that afflicts the Orthodox Copts."

President Barack Obama hailed the patriarch's commitment to tolerance and religious dialogue, saying: "We will remember Pope Shenouda III as a man of deep faith, a leader of great faith, and an advocate for unity and reconciliation."

The patriarch will be buried at the St Bishoy monastery of Wadi Natrun in the Scetis Desert west of the River Nile.

It was in the Scetis Desert that Pope Shenouda spent seven years living in a cave as a hermit between 1956 and 1962. Decades later, he was sent into exile there by President Anwar Sadat for opposing Egypt's peace treaty with Israel in 1979 after arguing that it was a betrayal of Palestinian Christians and Muslims left under Israeli occupation.

Such forthright views won him popularity among Muslims, but it did not halt a rise in religious violence against Copts in the later years of his papacy.

Suspected Islamists have carried out a number of attacks on Egypt's churches over the past 18 months, none more violent than the bombing of a church in Alexandria in January 2011, when 21 worshippers were killed.

But the Copts have become only more vulnerable since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak last February, with both the military and extremists seeing them as a useful target on which to pin Egypt's woes. At least 25 Copts were killed last October when the Egyptian security forces crushed a protest called to demand better protection from Islamist attacks.

From: Telegraph UK

Williams, 61, will leave at the end of December in time to start his new role next January.

His time in office has been marked by a slowly growing schism in the worldwide Anglican church, which he has failed to heal. Williams has been attacked by conservatives for his liberal views on homosexuality and by liberals for failing to live up to these principles.

But he has been respected on all sides for his gifts as a preacher of great eloquence and flashes of clarity.

Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, tweeted: "Rowan Williams will be sorely missed as archbishop of Canterbury; did what he said he'd do – challenge the imagination of our country."

Williams's generally leftwing politics have led him to clash with the government, most notably when he guest-edited an issue of the New Statesman last year, which was taken by Conservative MPs as a declaration of hostilities.

The prime minister, David Cameron, said: "I would like to thank Rowan Williams for his dedicated service as archbishop of Canterbury. As a man of great learning and humility he guided the church through times of challenge and change. He sought to unite different communities and offer a profoundly humane sense of moral leadership that was respected by people of all faiths and none."

The bookmakers' favourite to succeed him is the Ugandan-born archbishop of York, John Sentamu, whose energy is widely admired, but who has upset some with a reputed forceful manner.

The other name frequently mentioned is the bishop of London, Richard Chartres, who is opposed to the ordination of women, but has been increasingly quiet. Both men are older than Williams.

None of the younger candidates has yet made their mark on the world outside the church, though Graham James, the bishop of Norwich, and Nick Baines, the bishop of Bradford, are two names most often mentioned.

Williams, who was confirmed in December 2002 as the 104th archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the 77-million-strong Anglican communion, told the Press Association that occupying the post had been an enormous privilege.

He described the Church of England as a "great treasure" that was still a place where many people sought inspiration and comfort in times of need. "I would like the successor that God would like," he said.

"It is a job of immense demands and I would hope that my successor has the constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros, really.

"But he will, I think, have to look with positive, hopeful eyes on a church, which for all its problems is still, for so many people, a place to which they resort in times of need and crisis, a place to which they look for inspiration.

"I think the Church of England is a great treasure. I wish my successor well in the stewardship of it."

In a statement issued by Lambeth Palace, Williams added: "It has been an immense privilege to serve as archbishop of Canterbury over the past decade, and moving on has not been an easy decision.

"During the time remaining there is much to do, and I ask your prayers and support in this period and beyond."

He added that he was grateful for all the support he and his wife, Jane, had received.

"I am abidingly grateful to all those friends and colleagues who have so generously supported Jane and myself in these years, and all the many diverse parishes and communities in the Church of England and the wider Anglican communion that have brought vision, hope and excitement to my own ministry," he said.

"I look forward, with that same support and inspiration, to continuing to serve the church's mission and witness as best I can in the years ahead."

The timing of his retirement has nothing to do with gay marriage. But his children have both left school, and he will have served all through the Queen's diamond jubilee. By leaving now he makes time for his successor to prepare for the next Lambeth Conference, a worldwide gathering of Anglican bishops due in 2018. The last one was marked by a schism after the US Anglican church ordained an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson.

Williams planned to heal this schism by getting all constituent churches of the Anglican communion to sign up to a treaty or covenant which would stop them from ordaining openly gay clergy without central consent. But for the covenant to mean anything, it would have to be approved by a majority of the dioceses of the Church of England. Seventeen have so far rejected it, and only 11 approved. It seems likely that five more will reject it in voting this weekend, which would kill the scheme entirely.

The archbishop of York, John Sentamu, said: "It is with great sadness that I received the news that the archbishop of Canterbury will be stepping down at the end of this year.

"Our partnership in the gospel over the past six years has been the most creative period of my ministry. It has been life-giving to have led missions together, gone on retreats and prayed together.

"In his company I have drunk deeply from the wells of God's mercy and love and it has all been joyful. He is a real brother to me in Christ.

"The last decade has been a challenging time for the Church of England and the Anglican communion.

"Thankfully, Archbishop Rowan is a remarkable and gifted leader who has strengthened the bonds of affection. Despite his courageous, tireless and holy endeavour, he has been much maligned by people who should have known better. For my part he has been God's apostle for our time.

"His stepping down to pursue something he dearly loves – teaching and writing – is received with gratitude, as this will continue to be a blessing to the Church.

"I am delighted that he is not going far away and will continue to offer service to the Church of England and the wider church in its witness to our society. May God's blessing continue to be showered upon him."

Williams will continue to carry out all the duties and responsibilities of the archbishop of Canterbury, both for the Church of England and the Anglican communion, until the end of the year, Lambeth Palace said.

The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) would consider "in due course" the selection of a successor.

Williams's return to academia will mark the end of more than 20 years as a bishop and archbishop. He was consecrated bishop of Monmouth in 1991 and elected archbishop of Wales in 1999.

His departure comes amid tensions within the Anglican communion over the issue of homosexuality.

The Church of England general synod also looks likely to give final approval in July to legislation introducing female bishops, with the threat of further walkouts by traditionalists.

Williams's predecessor, Lord Carey, held the post of archbishop of Canterbury for 11 and a half years and retired at 66 in 2002.

From: Guardian

The above figures are the compilation of the Catholic population from the country’s nine Arch/Dioceses. The latest and known official statistics for the Diocese of Miri is the 1990 figure, showing 56,774 Catholics. It is estimated the diocese has more than 75,000 Catholics in 2010.

While most arch/dioceses saw an impressive growth in Catholic population, the growth seems to be concentrated mostly in Sabah and Sarawak where close to 70 per cent of the country’s Catholics reside. However the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese saw the Catholic population increase from 92,625 in 1999 to 167,000 in 2010. This is partly due to the migration of Sabahan and Sarawakian Catholics to Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan for further studies or employment.

Meanwhile the number of seminarians in Peninsular Malaysia dropped to 15 in 2010 from 22 in 1999. On the other hand, official figures show Sabah registering a significant increase of young Catholics joining the seminary with 39 seminarians in 2010, as compared to 23 in 1999. But the number of seminarians dropped in Sarawak (Archdiocese of Kuching and Diocese of Sibu combined) from 13 in 1999 to 6 in 2010. The figure for the Diocese of Miri is not available.

From the 2010 government official census, the population of Malaysia was 28,334,135, of which 9.2 per cent are Christians numbering 2,606,740. Catholics account for some 40 per cent of the Christian population in the country. -- By Bernard Anthony

Dear Deacon Sherman,

It seemed to me that Father Michael Cheah considers this issue to be roma locuta est, causa finita est. I wasn't convinced at all by his dogmatic (pardon the pun) approach to a controversial subject and after reading the article, I thought that he didn't seem to have grasp the issue at hand, which was one of insertion of the veneration into the Eucharistic celebration. My understanding of this issue is that it is one of liturgy first and foremost and therefore the document that I'd refer to would also be Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC); and not an obsure one like Summi Pontificatus which was written with the threat of Nazi Germany , rising fascism and gathering clouds in Europe.

The little I understand from reading Summi Pontificatus, I can't see how he can conclude specifically that ".. it gives the basis and foundation for the Rite of Veneration of Ancestors"? And worst of all, say that "This (Summi Pontificatus) is directed to the entire Church and non-acceptance or even partial acceptance of this Encyclical is tantamount to a rejection of some of the teachings, and inadvertently, leads to a rejection of a teaching of the Church! There is also no need to wait for any further instruction from our local Bishops as they are very clear on this matter and have fully accepted the teachings of the Encyclical". Most of us have never heard of this document and would have to claim invincible ignorance for a start.

SC No. 22.1 says "..Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority." Even that said the document provides for adaptation and inculturation but the role of the bishops as custodians of sacred liturgy is reiterated.

His article would have been better served if he had used a liturgical document to eventually guide us through an examination of conscience to remind ourselves on what liturgy and Eucharist is about. Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi. But there is part 2 next week...

In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas - for the moment, I am inclined to the second part, but I do think that the caritas part is missing from Father Michael's article.

With kind regards,
Rachael

1. There is no such thing as "Chinese sacramentals". An object / gesture is either a sacramental or it is not. And as far as the Church is concerned, not everything can be considered a "sacramental" just because it is felt to be helpful for one's devotional purpose. The appropriate category for the practice in question (veneration of ancestors or the ancestral tablet) is "popular piety" (CCC 1675). While there may be allowance for such practices in the devotional life of the faithful, they cannot be properly called "Chinese sacramentals".

2. According to a number of senior clergy I have consulted, this practice was never brought in by the Chinese priests or practised in the context of the Mass. It entered Malaysia only in the 1980s when it was brought in by priests who were trained in Taiwan. It is probably therefore untrue that this practice has such a long history in Malaysia as claimed in the article.

3. It hardly seems possible that a pope would interpret his own decree as an abrogation of his predecessors' decrees. To interpret a document in such a way is to apply the hermeneutic of rupture or discontinuity, this being a methodology of interpretation that Pope Benedict XVI keeps warning us against. Just because a new document seems to "contradict" prior documents by previous popes does not mean that there is formal contradiction. All seeming "contradictions" have to be interpreted in the light of decrees that have already been issued, and the earlier warnings from previous decrees should be seriously heeded. So Pope Pius XII's encyclical does not naturally mean that the decrees of Popes Clement XI and Benedict XIV can now be ignored.

4. The "unity of the faithful" is neither created nor enhanced by pious practices like the one in question. Our unity and full communion with one another stem from our obedience to the moral and faith teachings of the Church, to the apostolic form of governance, and to the canonical disciplines of the Church. Therefore, it is unjust to accuse anyone who refuses to participate in such pious practices of sowing discord. If any confusion has been created among the faithful, it is because of the presence of this practice rather than a person's refusal to participate in it. Moreover, the insistence that all must participate in it at the tailend of the Mass as a sign of unity undermines the authentic ontological unity reflected in the Eucharistic celebration that has just taken place. Even the receiving of Communion is not made compulsory that way, what more this.

5. Notice that in all the documents cited in the article, there is no mention (in any of those pertinent documents) of the practice of venerating the ancestral tablet in the context of the Mass. Even in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, intimations of this practice is found only under the category of "popular piety", not in the liturgy. At best, it is equal only to practices such as "the veneration of relics, visit to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc" (CCC 1674), all of which are done outside of the Mass.

6. My question still remains (even though I am not intimating that the practice of veneration of the ancestral tablet should be terminated definitively): since this practice in China was permitted for the purpose of removing unnecessary impediments to people's reception of the Gospel, does this practice in Malaysia pose any positive impact on our evangelisation efforts? If yes, it is wonderful. If not, why do we keep doing it, unless it is part of our daily custom? For those who are incessantly insisting on this practice, are they doing it regularly in their homes? Because it is in this context that the Church documents mention such a practice of popular piety, NOT in the Holy Mass.

7. Also, notice in my previous article (which provoked this recent article in response) never vehemently insisted that this practice should be discontinued. All I did in the article was to present some factors for consideration in deciding on the wisdom of such a practice. I think the people who would be least offended by this article would be those who took a balanced (centrist?) view on the issue. Admittedly, it has the potential to seriously offend both proponents and opponents of the practice who stand on either extreme.

8. Finally, whatever else one may say about this issue, point 257 of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines (2001) published by the Holy See cannot be discounted:

Deeply rooted cultural elements connoting particular anthropological concepts are to be found among the customs and usages connected with the 'cult of the dead' among some peoples. These often spring from a desire to prolong family and social links with the departed. Great caution must be used in examining and evaluating these customs. Care should be taken to ensure that they are not contrary to the Gospel. Likewise, care should be taken to ensure that they cannot be interpreted as pagan residues. [Highlight mine]

Could it be that the reactions this practice has provoked stems from it having been interpreted as a pagan residue?