6

CHARITABLE GIVING

DECEMBER 22, 2006 THE CATHOLIC HERALD

Three charities –Cafod, Aid to the Church in Need and UK Life League –explain how you can help the poor and the vulnerable in 2007

Living simply out of respect for the poor

Standing side by side with suffering Christians

HELPING THE WORLD’S POOR

BY CHRIS BAIN

I N J ANUARY Pope Benedict issued his first encyclical called Deus Caritas Est (God is Love). It’s an inspirational letter that says to us all that what we do must be rooted in our faith and in our values and principles. He says: “Within the community of believers there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life.” This is more profound than simple generosity, important though this is. It is a love that sees the face of Christ on every person, especially those most in need. Pope Benedict shows us that love –personified in Jesus. It is not weak and sentimental, but something powerful and awesome; it’s the source of our hope. I think for most Cafod supporters that message translates into love of neighbour –welcoming the stranger, the widow, and the orphan. This is what lies at the heart of Catholic communities’ amazing generosity throughout the past year. In recent years we’ve witnessed a steady growth in Cafod’s international programmes as we’ve been responding to ever-growing needs. Some of this has been driven by our response to emergencies in Darfur, East Africa and Asia, but our development programmes have also grown significantly. Nearly half of our international programme spend is in Africa, more and more working directly with partners. In the year ending March 2003 Cafod spent £23m on our international programme, in 2005 it was £26m. At the

A girl pictured at a refugee camp in Darfur, Sudan

year ending March 2006 it was a staggering £42m. This growth has been made possible by an income of £51 million last year, much of it through the generosity of the Catholic community. We also maintained our schools’ campaigning and advocacy work and have invested in staff in the dioceses to better develop and support volunteers who are building links with parishes, schools, youth groups and supporting them in their work for Cafod. Cafod’s new campaign – Unearth Justice –is based on the experiences of Catholic Church partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Honduras, detailing the negative impact that gold mining is having on their communities.

It is one of the greatest paradoxes of our time. A developing country discovers vast resources of minerals and precious metals which should become a source of bounty, fostering economic regeneration for all. Instead, it becomes a curse. At best, spawning a corrupt elite with huge profits for Western mining companies; at worst fuelling conflict, terror and ethnic cleansing. In Honduras partners tell us how rivers and farm land had been poisoned by cyanide used to extract gold leading to the dislocation of the local community, contamination of water supplies and lasting environmental destruction. The Unearth Justice campaign will continue to highlight the huge social and

environmental costs of gold mining, calling on both mining companies and British jewellers to clean up the industry. At this year’s Pope Paul VI lecture, Sister Teresa Okure, a renowned theologian from Nigeria, reminded us that it is only by working together that solutions to the disparity between rich and poor and the grim legacy of social and environmental destitution can be tackled. Another way that Cafod is tackling some of the solutions to that reality is through the launch of the live simply challenge which aims to inspire the Catholic community, and the wider general public, into taking personal responsibility for creating change –for creating a world in which human dignity is respected and for understanding the impact our way of life is having on the world. Live simply marks the anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s landmark encyclical, Populorum Progressio , which 40 years on remains a prophetic guide for Cafod’s work. It said that it is “everyone’s responsibility to contribute to making a fairer world” and this requires a personal transformation. And it’s not cost-free, as the challenge asks us to re-examine our consumer lifestyles and also reminds us that justice is a spiritual issue. The live simply challenge invites us to pray and reflect on our lifestyle. It challenges us all to live in solidarity with the world’s poor. Thank you for your continued support for Cafod, for your commitment to justice and peace and for your commitment to live simply. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Chris Bain is the director of Cafod

AIDING THE PERSECUTED

BY TERRY MURPHY

A RCHBISHOP Lawrence Saldanha is a man who knows about persecution. The Archbishop of Lahore in Pakistan saw his people subjected to “a growing tide of religious intolerance and hatred” in a year when a storm of extremist violence against Christians swept the country. “It is a miracle that our Church survived,” he said. “This has only been possible by God’s grace.” Those were Archbishop Saldanha’s comments to his congregation in February 2006, days after a 100,000strong armed mob had rampaged through the streets screaming anti-Christian slogans. Meanwhile in the Middle East –where Christianity is being stamped out in the very lands where it first took root –crisis upon crisis has driven entire communities of Christians into exile. In Iraq, kidnapping and murder have become commonplace for those caught in the crossfire of a bitter Sunni-Shia war. Christians have been forced to abandon Baghdad’s Al Dora region, once revered as the “Vatican of Iraq”. Lebanese and Israeli Christians, too, are innocent victims of conflict. As fighting escalated in July, Bishop Elias Chacour of Akka in the Galilee region made a desperate plea for help. He said: “I never imagined a day would come when I would have to make an SOS for us Christians in Galilee.” And yet in Pakistan and the Middle East, in countries across the globe where

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha: ‘Growing intolerance’

persecution is rife, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has reported how Christians have turned to Christ with ever more determined faith and hope. This past year, more than any other year in ACN’s history, the charity has stood shoulder to shoulder with the millions of Christians worldwide who live out their faith in the face of hatred and oppression. With radical religious violence at the forefront of media attention, the Catholic charity for persecuted and poor Christians has highlighted the plight of the suffering faithful throughout the world. In September, a packed Westminster Cathedral Hall heard Cardinal Joseph Zen

Ze-kiun of Hong Kong candidly describe the overbearing control Communist authorities exert over the Church in China. And more than 15,000 copies of Persecuted and Forgotten? –ACN’s new publication chronicling the worst instances of extremist persecution and state-sanctioned oppression of Christians –have been distributed, asking readers to remember the suffering Church in their prayers. Moved by the countless stories which have shown that “faith is stronger than fear”, ACN benefactors have responded with unprecedented generosity. ACN has paid out grants to rebuild churches across Pakistan. Emergency relief

went to Lebanon and Israel, as well as ongoing support for Iraqi refugees. In more than 140 countries, the faithful have been comforted by the Christian fellowship of ACN’s supporters. In 2007 ACN celebrates its 60th anniversary. With 170,000 Christians dying for their faith each year, the charity’s mission is taking on a renewed and ever more urgent significance. “At times people have hoped and thought that the requirement for a charity like ours would disappear,” said Neville Kyrke-Smith, UK National Director of ACN. “Maybe people thought that the persecution and oppression of Christians was just history. “The reality is that the faithful will always be persecuted and the work of ACN grows ever more important in today’s polarised world.” Trusting in the steadfast solidarity of its benefactors, ACN will continue to confront the challenge of fundamentalist Islam in Africa and Asia, and the hateful violence it inflicts upon the faithful. Priority will be given to helping protect the Faith in the lands of the Bible. And there will be support for those whose faith is suppressed under totalitarian regimes, as well as the Church in former Soviet countries –a traditional focus for ACN –where Communism stifled the faith for more than 70 years. As Archbishop Saldanha said: “Fortunately we have people who are concerned about us, people who are in solidarity with us and who are praying with us.”

Terry Murphy is media officer at Aid to the Church in Need (UK)

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For pro-lifers, charity must begin at home

DEFENDING HUMAN LIFE

BY JIM DOWSON

A SWE leave one year behind and face the dawn of a new one, I ask myself: did I do all that I could have done to help the weakest in our society, the unborn, the elderly and the disenfranchised? The answer is, no. 2006 was a year when God’s truth and order were attacked from all sides. We witnessed aggressive campaigning in the areas of stem cell research, cloning, euthanasia, abortion, samesex marriage and gay adoption. One wonders just how long this permissive society can continue before it breaks down. While I worry about the constant and increasing frequency of attacks on traditional family values, morality and faith, I am increasingly concerned that an inevitable backlash will occur at some point in the future. As families break down, so does society. A lack of love and natural compassion towards unborn babies illustrates a hardening of hearts in society in general. Does the Government believe that the next generation will tolerate the massive tax burden needed to sustain an ever-increasing aged population, when it would be more economical to employ a euthanasia policy? Consumerism, greed, selfishness and a lack of natural affection are all too prevalent today. If we can destroy our healthy unborn children by the millions, is it so difficult to imagine that in a few years, we may be destroying millions of unhealthy, economically

This year was not a good one for the pro-life cause

unviable old people? There would be an outcry, I hear you say. Yet history shows that the loudest outcry could just as easily be a murmur –as soft and low as the one heard over the seven million babies we have butchered in this country. We must not forget Holland, a country which has been killing its older population for years. How many voices are raised in protest from the rest of Europe, or us, for that matter? The situation is a grave one, and it will assuredly get worse. We have a moral duty to do something about it. We must get back to basics, starting with our families.

For before we can reform the nation we must reform our families. I am convinced that by marrying and ensuring your future spouse shares your convictions, you can begin the process. Next, we must facilitate raising children. They are our guarantee of a future. The insidious contraceptive mentality must be faced down. Pregnancy is not a disease, why vaccinate against it? The childless, or even the “1.2 children” mindset, is the root cause of our ills. Young, strong families, firmly grounded in faith in Jesus Christ, are this country’s only hope for survival. The school system and the media industries are the greatest threat to our chil

dren’s wellbeing. Yet they are easily combated. Simply bin the television. Engage your children in wholesome activities and spiritual work. Let’s get them out to demos and youth meetings. Recently, I threw the television and computers out and –like magic –reading was back on the menu again. Personalities changed in only a few days, proving that we can make the improbable possible. Nations are merely a collection of communities, which in turn are made up of families. Individuals don’t build nations, families do. Therefore, let us start 2007 with our hearts open to the love of God and his wisdom for our future. Let us be open to His gifts, especially that of life. Let us now love and honour women as image bearers of Christ and builders of our nation. Let us be to our wives a rock of security and steadfastness. Let them be full of love for our Creator and his creation, feeling valued and privileged to be used so specially by God. We have the opportunity to quietly build and strengthen people of faith in this country. It’s hard work parenting today. Maybe that’s why so many reject the notion. But if we are followers of Christ, it is our sacred duty (and privilege) to bring forth the next generation. Let us do this with joy, and do it well. If we are faithful to this solemn trust, victory will be ours. Our day will come. Please God, may it be soon.

Jim Dowson is the national co-ordinator of the UK Life League THE CATHOLIC HERALD DECEMBER 22, 2006

7

CHURCH ART

In the homeland of Augustine and Cyprian, of Tertullian and Felicity, wonderful works of art are being crafted for Westminster Cathedral. Mgr Mark Langham reports on a unique collaboration between Church and charity that is helping to support destitute families in Tunisia Re-piecing the African Church

The art of mosaic is deeply grounded in the human psyche, as well as in human history. For a child, the act of putting together coloured shapes to form a picture is a basic experience of growth in comprehending the world and articulating a response to it. Perhaps, for that reason, mosaic art is one of the most ancient and enduring art forms; sadly neglected as a contemporary medium, its history is nevertheless a glorious reflection of the mighty cultures that created it. On a journey to Tunisia last October, parishioners and friends of Westminster Cathedral were invited to contemplate one of the highest points in the history of mosaic, and were able to witness a project that aims to bring to life once again this great art form. Roman North Africa, comprising modern Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, was one of the richest provinces of the mighty Empire. With a milder climate in those days, its immense production of corn earned for its citizens vast wealth through feeding the remorselessly hungry cities of the Italian peninsula. The Mediterranean became a highway between Rome and Carthage, as ships bearing the vital provisions sailed unceasingly back and forth. The resultant prosperity of the Romans of North Africa was expressed in mighty cities and lavish villas, decorated with the finest mosaics to be seen in any of the former provinces of the Roman Empire. On pilgrimage to Tunisia, following in the steps of St Augustine, our group from Westminster Cathedral saw something of this extensive heritage. In the vast museums of Tunis, Sousse and El Jem, room after room was carpeted in exquisite mosaics of a size and artistry unsurpassed in the ancient world. You really never need see another mosaic again. In antique cities, houses and basilicas still boasted their original mosaic floors, the very size of them deterring those who might think to transfer them to a museum. Whereas we in

Original Roman mosaics, right and far right, from the Bardo Museum, Tunis

England tend to become panic-stricken at the thought of a few square inches of mosaic turning up in a field in Sussex, the modern inhabitants of North Africa can afford to be nonchalant about their measureless patrimony (although for the most part it is cared for well). From the first century until the end of Byzantine rule in the seventh century, the workshops of North Africa set the standard by which all mosaic craft is measured, and bestowed upon posterity a priceless record of life in antiquity. While loftier themes of Gods and nymphs abound, what the Romans really liked were scenes of daily life: hunting, gladiatorial fights, canoodling teenagers and dirty floors. Yes, dirty floors; there is a whole genre of mosaic decoration which depicts what your floor would look like if it were littered with the leftovers from a banquet. Which presumably

The Romans had a passion for ‘dirty floors’... There is a genre of mosaics which depict what your floor would look like littered with the leftovers from a banquet

made the actual litter of leftovers from your banquet appear less offensive and, indeed, rather artistic. Through images such as these, historians have learned extraordinary details of the daily lives of the citizens of Africa under the Roman Empire, and its Byzantine successor. Our guide in Tunisia was Pier Magliano, a devoutly Catholic and unremittingly energetic Italian who specialises in religious itineraries in this little-known area. He introduced us to the land of Augustine and Cyprian, of Tertullian and of Felicity and Perpetua. You can see the very spot in Carthage where Augustine sat near the public cisterns, homesick for the sound of the running streams of his childhood farm. You can visit the basilica where St Monica waited in vain for her wayward son, as Augustine tricked her and sailed for Rome. You can walk in the dusty amphitheatre where Felicity and Perpetua (familiar names from the First Eucharistic Prayer) were torn to pieces by wild animals. North Africa was once the most Christian province of the Roman Empire, producing three

popes, two Doctors of the Church, and countless martyrs, and it is increasingly seen as a destination for religious groups. The remains of bewilderingly huge cities and monumental basilicas litter the country, and reward the visitor with a glimpse into the vigorous early centuries of the Church. Pier also runs an interesting side-line in introducing auxiliary bishops to their defunct North African Sees, and only recently had engineered the visit of a new auxiliary bishop of Milan to his deserted and fragmentary cathedral city of Lambaesis in Numidia, much to the delight and bemusement of its latterday inhabitants. I made a mental note to get Bishop George Stack, whose titular see of Gemellae in Numidia was well known to Pier, to book a date for his installation. However, it was soon apparent that Pier’s own story was itself one of the most interesting aspects of our tour. In love with the character and potential of the people of Tunisia, Pier has devoted his life to assisting orphaned youths in a society where a father is sole provider for his family, and where fatherless families face an uncertain future. Without a father figure in this highly patriarchal society, a Tunisian family can rapidly fall into destitution. Accordingly, Pier uses all the profits of his tour company to support young Tunisians in this situation. The collection we made for him at the end of our tour will help buy a car for a young man of 18, working to support his mother and younger brothers and sisters. Pier’s greatest project, however, is one that brings alive the ancient Roman traditions of North Africa, and gives hope and a future to youngsters who would otherwise face destitution. The impressively entitled Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis was founded in 2000. It is a mosaic workshop, established with the two-fold purpose of producing works of art according to ancient Roman techniques, and equipping its young Tunisian workers with the skills to create for themselves a secure and positive future. The workshop occupies a small former school, rented expensively from the Diocese of Tunis, and Pier has brought in expertise from the Bardo gallery in Tunis and from Ravenna in Italy to train its young workers. Different coloured stones are harvested and broken into tesserae –the small pieces used for mosaic. The designs are then created by hand, either following ancient designs or interpreting new commissions, and then set into a concrete made of lime, terracotta and fragmented sea shells. This ancient method of production allows the mosaic designs to have a character all of their own, and once the young craftsmen are trained, they are despatched to set up their own mosaic workshops throughout Tunisia –there are now eight throughout the country. In this way, the artistic medium and traditions of a lost civilisation can become owned by a new and different culture, and Roman and Arabic Africa can draw closer together. Yet, the creation of the Schola is primarily a personal act of faith by Pier. A visit to the website of the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis demonstrates at once the philosophy and faith behind this work; his Christian vision and principles imbue the workshop, to the point that several of his young charges are undergoing catechesis. The Schola’s success, and the ability of its young workers to support their families, relies upon a steady stream of commissions. Although still small and struggling,

Designing a mosaic for a church in Italy. The Schola’s success depends on a steady stream of commissions Photo: M Langham

financial cost of our tour was helping to keep it in existence, and support its young workers. By coincidence, I had earlier in the year received a commission to fill two small blank panels in Westminster Cathedral with images of St Ambrose and St Augustine. The panels flank St Paul’s chapel, which forms an appropriate setting for these two saints, St Ambrose’s own legal career reflecting the theme of the Law already present in the chapel, and St Augustine being the great interpreter of St Paul. What could be more fitting, then, than to have such a mosaic created in the land where Augustine once lived, according to the techniques of his own time, by a workshop dedicated to reviving the art and techniques of his own era? The cost of the two panels together would be about £35,000; they would be designed in England, and then created and shipped over from the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis in Tunisia. As ever, such a commission must go through an arduous administrative process involving two separate committees, but we would hope that the mosaics might be installed within the next few years.

the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis is beginning to attract attention. A mosaic of St Augustine (who lived in this part of the Roman province of Africa) created in the workshop now adorns Tunis Cathedral, and the students have received commissions from churches in

Tenerife, Turin and Brescia. Of course, the subject of mosaics is not without interest to us at Westminster Cathedral, where the Byzantine vaults await their decoration. Our group was thrilled to discover this workshop, and to know that the

If you would like to contribute to the mosaic fund please send a cheque made payable to “Westminster Cathedral (Tunisia mosaics)”, to the Administrator, Cathedral Clergy House, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW. The website of the Schola Musivi Carthaginiensis is www.schola-musivi.com

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