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SAFCAM Communique #24 31-10-2020
SAFCAM Communique #24 31-10-2020
(This message was meant to be sent yesterday but unfortunately, we have had no internet connection at all for 48 hours! So excuse some of the already-dated contents!)
Happy Halloween! And Happy Feast of All Saints!
We know that many pagan festivals were ‘redeemed’ into Christian feasts, All Saints and All Souls included. Unfortunately, these are being re-paganized with economic interests finding ways to market Christian feast days for financial profit, even to a very secularized modern world. “Halloween” is the hallowed eve or vigil which prepared the feast of All Saints. In most of Africa the reversal to pagan celebrations has fortunately not yet happened, but it is gradually creeping in. Let us strive to prevent our Hallowed Eve from having to be re-Christianized.
The annual CIVAM meeting will take place online this week from Monday to Thursday with 2 x 90 minutes sessions per day in common besides individual work in between.
SAFCAM will be assisting with the secretariat and translations. Please pray for the fruitful outcomes of this encounter of the provincials of our region.
New items on the website:
- There are a dozen new posts this week. Among them, we recommend that you read the article on the animation of community prayer. Fr Manolo Jimenez (ACC) reminds us of very practical ways to maintain quality in this sphere of our lives.
- Fr Camiel put together a powerpoint on Don Bosco’s 1884 Letter from Rome and presented it at a webinar this week to confreres of AFE. It can be downloaded and adapted for use in many other contexts.
- The collection of 20 pictures has been augmented by 35 serious and hilarious photos of these strange Covid-times. The pandemic is dangerous, but let’s not lose our sense of humour in these times.
- We added several collections of ideas, icebreakers, games and exercises for youth groups…
- You can find the annual Safcam report in PPT form, listing our activities from October 2019 to October 2020.
News – main stories
The 2nd wave of the Covid pandemic flaring up across the world is worrying, if not scary! For us here in Africa where a natural resilience against Covid-19 seems to spare us of the deadly consequences of infection, the restrictive measures and partial lockdowns are no less disastrous on the livelihoods of ordinary citizens, especially the poorer, as well as in the educational spheres!
Elections!
The long-awaited US elections are coming up in 4 days’ time. It is sad to see how the two main contenders keep demonizing each other, instead of just presenting their own strategic plans.
It should not be seen as being about two men who are presidential candidates, neither of whom is perfect, and both of whom are severely flawed! But the battle is really about 2 ideologies. Interestingly the democrats who tend to be the more liberal ones when it comes to moral issues, seem to be the ones who are most totalitarian in embracing cancel culture! And the Republicans, who are charged with being racist and elitist, ironically are the ones who have the most candidates from the grassroots and Afro-American backgrounds. Our concern regarding the results is not so much because of what this implies for the citizens of the USA, but the impact the victory of either side will have on the rest of the world.
An interesting development is the phenomenon of Afro-Americans, who used to automatically vote for the Democrats, but are this time swinging their allegiance to the Republicans. A search for “Blexit” [for Blacks-exit-(the dems)] and “Walk-Away” on YouTube brings up many clips in which Black Americans declare their support for Trump. Any search for the names - Candace Owens, Brandon Tatum, Bevelyn Beatty, Larry Elder, Ben Carsons, Morgan Freeman, Alveda King (niece of Martin Luther King), , Denzel Washington, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Kim Kalic, Vernon Jones, Jason Whitlock, Thomas Sowell, Sheriff David Clarke, The Hodge Twins, David L. Grey, and many more, including internationally renowned Rappers Khanye West, Lil Wayne and 50Cents, reveals very surprising testimonies rejecting Biden and Harris, and vowing to vote for Trump! All of the above named are black high-profile Americans who are risking their popularity by turning their backs on the Democrats. As Biden famously declared – “If you don’t vote for me, you ain’t black!” Imagine that!
We have hotly contested elections here on the continent too – Conde in Guinea was ‘re-elected’ for a third term to the displeasure of many. President Magufuli has won a second term in Tanzania this week with 84% of the votes, and the Ivory Coast elections happening today are developments to watch! It is not only in Africa that election results are questioned. Lukashenko’s landslide victory in Belorussia is a striking example of democratic principles growing increasingly in jeopardy.
And while we see regrettable violent police repression in Nigeria of the ongoing protests against injustices of all sorts, there is violence in so many other parts of the world too… the shocking Islamist attacks in France, and bombings in Pakistan, ongoing warfare in Syria, as well as all out war between Armenia-Azerbaijan.
The striking line from the film “The Mission” – If might is right, then there is no place in the world for love, and in that kind of world I do not wish to live! – comes to mind. There is no shortage of intentions of prayer!
In the church, the “Francesco” documentary is causing waves. Just search YouTube for the name FRANCESCO and you will find extracts from the documentary, but especially many clips voicing protest against what the media are claiming is Pope Francis’ endorsement of gay-unions, while others defend the pope, welcoming his compassion for the LGBT camp, while some insist that the pope’s statements have been manipulated to appear to mean what he did not mean!
Some useful websites: www.heroicmen.com and www.Alpha.org ; and an inspirational clip - https://youtu.be/3aYmoLjuf8Y - this is a link to an 8-minute YouTube clip – the life story of South Sudanese refugee, Emmanuel Taban, and his ‘miraculous’ journey to becoming a specialist doctor in Johannesburg.
All the best for the month of November during which we especially honour our ancestors.
Camiel and Francois
