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SAFCAM Communique #44 - English
20-03-2021
SAFCAM Communique #44 20/03/2021
Dear Subscribers
We hope you had a happy feast of St Joseph.
The feast was also the day of Fr Guillermo’s installation as provincial of AFC. Viva AFC, Viva Don Basanes.
Let us not forget as well that the feast of St Joseph marked the start to the Year of the Family which will continue till the 26th June 2022. See the postings on some of this week’s topics on www.safcam.org
The Regional Formation Commission met online meeting held this morning. It reviewed the 2020-2026 formation plan and shared what progress is being achieved in implementing it. It also approved the change of venue from Lusaka to Nairobi for the 2021 RFC meeting in October (16-21) together with the Youth Ministry Commission, travelling restrictions permitting.
For those who still have not heard even though the news was distributed nearly 2 months ago:
On 19 January 2021, the Rector Major, Fr Ángel Artime, with the favourable opinion of the General Council, in accordance with article 132, paragraph 1.1 and 156 of the Constitutions, erected the “Blessed Artemides Zatti” Province of Africa Nigeria and Niger with its headquarters in Lagos-Nigeria. 9 Houses make up this Province.
On the same day the new Province of “Our Lady of Peace” in North West Africa was erected with its headquarters in Cotonou in Benin. 18 Houses make up this Province, to be found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Gambia, as well as in Senegal. These last three nations will form a Delegation based in Dakar-Senegal. The new “Our Lady of Peace” Province will eventually develop its mission also in Guinea Bissau.
And again, on 19 January the “St Joseph” Province of South West Africa was erected with its headquarters in Ashaiman-Ghana. It will include the works of Togo, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone, 20 Houses.
Tanzania
President John Pombe Magufuli - After nearly 3 weeks of speculation on his status and whereabouts, his death was finally officially announced this week. Despite his flaws, he did a huge amount for his country in his 5 years and 5 months as president, and was a devout catholic, who promoted faith, self-sufficiency, anti-corruption, and structural development of his country. He was mocked by the media for his denial of the menace of the coronavirus threat in Tanzania and reliance on God’s protection. His successor, Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in as president. She took her oath of office yesterday at the statehouse in Dar es Salaam. She is a soft-spoken 61-year-old Muslim woman from Zanzibar, a mother of four children. It is really a historic moment particularly as a woman who comes from Zanzibar. For the first time in the history of Tanzania, there is a Zanzibari and a woman as president of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Opinion manipulation and mass conditioning through the media:
We constantly hear tragic news from Nigeria, Somalia, Mozambique, Niger, Tigray, Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, … Every day the media provide reports of barbaric atrocities: bombings, kidnappings, beheadings, mass killings… We grow numb to it all. Meanwhile we feel sorry for ourselves because of the restrictions in travels and socialising because of the pandemic, or the little Lenten penances we mortify ourselves with.
Such a huge portion of humanity are on a permanent way of the cross, because of certain natural disasters in some cases, but more often because of the inhumanity of persecutors and bandits who seem to delight in crucifying their brothers and sisters through human trafficking, rape, GBV, drug dealing, injustices of all sorts. At the same time, the media uses a number of smokescreens, like the over-publicised drama last week of Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah, which really is the mere distraction of the rich and privileged, like the British Royal family.
Then there is the tyranny of political correctness which distorts so much of reality now.
The outcome of the Vatican reply to the ‘dubium’ concerning the blessing of gay unions is causing so much indignation! When we defend natural marriage and family get accused of being “anti-human rights” simply for insisting that men and women are equal and complementary, but different, and that gender identity must be based on one biological nature! This is considered to be the opinion of religious extremists who deny women’s and LGBTIQ rights! If we dare speak up in favour of the traditional marriage we get accused of “hate speech”. The notion that to believe men and women are complementary, is somehow a hateful attack on women and the LGBT community, is absurd. No right-thinking person of goodwill would assign hateful purposes to something so universally recognized and understood throughout the existence of mankind.
Then the media celebrate as good news anytime another country promotes the LGBT agenda – this week it was Japan where the supreme court declared it to be unconstitutional to not afford gays the same marriage “rights” as heterosexuals. Articles appeared claiming that there was no homophobia in Japan until it built ties with Christian ‘West’ – how presumptuous! But that was mainly the chance to blame Christianity for homophobia!
And the media was delighted to report the fact that Spain has legalised euthanasia and assisted suicide!
We are faced with crazy contradictory developments.
Influencers and authorities
– Vow to protect the elderly from Covid infections at the cost of the elderly themselves suffering isolation, while the same lobbies advocate euthanasia;
- Condemn GBV (gender-based violence) but tolerate and even justify porn which exploits and denigrates women;
- Worry about declining fertility rates in many countries, yet promote abortion.
How do we help young people from growing totally confused about what is right and what is wrong?
And in the midst of all that, the church has rightly re-affirmed that it cannot bless same sex unions, to the outrage of mass media. We can expect a huge hostile response from the mainstream media and LGBT lobbies. Sadly even from within the church, there are public protestations against this ruling, including bishops and clergy who reject this ruling.
Formation for 21st Century educators:
Please have a look at this promotional article for a teacher’s training program designed by Fr Selvam Sahaya:
Wishing you wonderful feast of the Annunciation on Thursday and a blessed final fortnight of Lent,Top of Form
Camiel and François
