Archbishop William Goh Seng Chye of Singapore, discussed a number of issues with AsiaNews on 9 Feb 2018 after his meeting with Pope Francis Feb 8, issues like the reality of Asia, the life of the Church and religious harmony in Singapore, and his personal observations about Amoris Laetitia.

Nine years after the last ad limina visit in 2008, the 11 bishops of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (BCMSB) visited the Vatican between 4 and 9 February, to visit the tombs of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and meet Pope Francis.

Born in Singapore in 1957, Abp Goh was ordained archdiocesan priest in 1985. For four years, he was assistant parish priest at the Holy Cross Church before travelling to Rome in 1992 to finish his studies in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Upon his return home, he taught and lectured at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary of (SFXMS) between 1992 and 2005.

In 2005, Fr Goh was appointed SFXMS rector and spiritual director of the Catholic Spiritual Centre, a position he held until his ordination as the fourth archbishop of Singapore in 2013. What follows is the first part (of three) of an interview with the prelate.

“The real challenges for the Catholic Church are here in Asia,” said Abp Goh, during his first ad limina visit to the Vatican as Archbishop of Singapore. “The Asian continent is different from all the others, since it is extremely varied in terms of religions, cultures and economic realities,” he added. In this context, Singapore stands out as a reality in its own right.

“It is a very particular Asian country, characterised by strong economic and technological progress, perhaps similar to South Korea and Hong Kong. Together with Malaysia and Brunei, it belongs to a Bishops’ Conference that brings together nations that face different political, economic and religious challenges.

“Singapore is a unique country, the expression of a cosmopolitan and highly educated society. More than 40 per cent of its residents have at least one university degree. About 75 per cent of the population is ethnic Chinese, but there are important Malay (13.5 per cent) and Indian (9 per cent) communities.”

One of the peculiarities that characterise the rich city-state is the relationship between the government and religion. “Unlike neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore has a secular government,” the prelate explained. “However, we like to define ourselves more as a ‘multicultural and multi-religious state’. The government is in fact secular in order to preserve the unity of the nation, but most ministers and officials profess a faith. The state is not against religion, but is in favour of it, seeing it as a fundamental component for the country’s development.

“The government provides important support to all religions, without favouritism. For example, it is customary to invite religious leaders to take part in numerous meetings and ask them for advice on issues affecting the country, especially from a moral and social point of view.”

“Some ministries, like the Ministry of the Family or the Ministry of Education, collaborate closely with religious leaders. Along with youth policies, these are the areas in which the government invites us to express opinions because we all work for the good of the country.”

The collaboration between the State and religions for the country’s development is also reflected in the archbishop’s personal involvement. “I was appointed presidential adviser for minority rights and religious harmony. Thanks to the work of governmental inter-ethnic and inter-religious bodies, there are frequent occasions for discussion and talks among all groups in Singapore’s cosmopolitan society. Our ability to live together peacefully, especially among different religions, is truly a miracle.

“Among the various initiatives, religious groups have set up a non-governmental organisation, the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), which provides a significant place for sharing different experiences of faith, this thanks to the important help from the government. All this makes Singapore a truly unique reality, where every religious problem is dealt with directly among religious leaders, even with a phone call. This is the beauty of our country, there are no conflicts,” the archbishop said.

“All religions are on the same level and do not exercise any political power. Instead, all the countries that surround Singapore have a dominant religion, favoured by their governments. When this happens, the tendency to discriminate against others is strong. Unlike what happens in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, religions in Singapore do not have political power and do not seek it. For this reason, dialogue is easier and the common goal is the good of the country.

“Whenever foreign delegations visit Singapore, they make sure to meet local religious leaders. Recently, even Prince Charles of England visited the country and held talks with leaders on how to promote religious harmony. In Singapore we try to be a model, but ultimately the problem of many countries is the mutual exploitation of religion and politics. This is why I believe that elsewhere our system may not be effective, ” Abp Goh noted.

The day before the interview, Abp Goh met Pope Francis along the bishops of Malaysia and Brunei. The archbishop said that these countries are very different from one another. For this reason, during the audience with the pontiff, the presentation of each took a long time. “As a result, there was little time for questions and observations,” the archbishop explained.

Still, “We managed to have a very meaningful talk,” Abp Goh said. “’Ask me all the questions you want, any! Even if you do not like the pope, you can tell me,” Pope Francis told us with the humility that is his trademark. He was present like a father and as such he listened to us.

“For my part, I asked him two questions that are close to my heart. First, I explained my curiosity about the efficiency of a structure organised around small dicasteries in the context of a universal institution to which billions of people belong. After, I asked for clarifications on the theme of communion for the divorced included in Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’s second apostolic exhortation.

“Many in the Church have doubts and are uncertain. Such confusion and division also frighten me, but the Holy Father told me: ‘Chapter VIII cannot be decontextualised. It is only the end of the exhortation. Chapter IV is more important, where its principles are explained. For Pope Francis, the question cannot be reduced to whether divorced people can receive communion or not?’ Rather, the question is: ‘How can we reach them, [and] assist them from a spiritual point of view?’ Unfortunately, sometimes there are different approaches between academics and those involved in grassroots pastoral outreach. Pope Francis belongs to the latter group.”

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The seven-day celebration for the feast of the Holy Infant Jesus with the theme We have Passion for Mission in Christ closed on Sunday, February 4, 2018 with the celebration of two Masses.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino presided at the Mass with Chapel Administrator, Fr VA Michael and Fr Albet Arockiasamy as concelebrants.

In his homily, the Nuncio told the congregation that the Church is on a mission to reach out to all, especially the weak and the downtrodden. Archbishop Marino, who was on his first visit to Kuala Selangor, called on the assembly to be imitators of Christ, like St Paul, who became all things to all men.

On February 3, there was a procession in honour of the Lord during the evening Mass with the sub-theme Be Not Afraid, We Belong To Christ, With Mary. Capuchin priest, Fr Sebastian Aputharaj, who was the preacher for most of the other days, presided, with Fr Michael and Fr Andrew Manickam OFM Cap concelebrating the tri-lingual Mass.

Fr Sebastian shared about Bishop Fulton Sheen’s experience on a flight. He encountered a lady who thrice asked him if he wanted something to eat. He replied no. Before leaving the flight, Bishop Fulton told the lady, “God has given you everything. In return, what are you going to give to Him?” After a few years, he received an invitation to an orphanage run by the lady whom he had met on the plane. The lady told the Bishop how her encounter with him changed her life and she had left her job to serve in the orphanage. This showed how Bishop Fulton is a disciple for bringing someone to Jesus.

“As Christians, we must be disciples of Christ by being good Christians in our actions. We preach the Gospel by our way of life, by our actions; just like Mary did, like the saints did,” he added.

After Mass and a short procession with the Blessed Sacrament, they returned to the chapel for adoration followed by Benediction.

Fr Michael, the parish priest of the Church of St Paul the Hermit in Bestari Jaya, said about 7,000 faithful came for the seven days this year.

There was fellowship after every Mass. There were free tram rides for the children, with games and goody bags, ice-cream and balloons.

Fr Michael expressed his gratitude to the celebrants and concelebrants, those coming from far and near for their active participation and the Organising Committee. He also thanked the children’s choir.

More parents are coming to the chapel with their children as they believe in the power of the Holy Infant Jesus.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

The New Thessalonian Apostolate (NTA) and The Lighthouse, Penang, two Catholic social powerhouses, have come together, leveraging on each other’s strengths and expertise to serve the refugee community scattered across Penang Island.

This collaboration saw the establishment of, among other things, a school for refugee children, skills and livelihood training programmes for refugees (men and women), as well as healthcare services for the refugee community as a whole.

Planning for this initiative commenced in March 2017 during which NTA did multiple assessments to identify the extent of the need. This was done by spending time with the community, speaking to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and various other NGOs and stakeholders regarding the needs of the refugees in Penang. NTA also ensured that the curriculum is customised to cater towards the specific needs of refugee children.

The Lighthouse, on the other hand, looked into providing the infrastructure needed for the project, including providing the premises for the school and training centre, arranging for the children’s transportation to and from school and providing breakfast and lunch for the children.

The NTA — Lighthouse School for Refugee Children as it is known, is merely the first step towards serving the refugee community in the area, in a similar vein to the The Lighthouse’s service to the urban poor in the area since 2003.

January 19 marked the first day of school for the refugee children who were provided with uniforms by NTA. A brief induction session was conducted by Marianne See, NTA’s Director of Education.

This was followed by a short break during which breakfast was served by The Lighthouse. Classes resumed shortly after.

The children had their very first VIP visitor when Bishop Sebastian Francis visited and blessed the school. The Bishop was then given a briefing on the collaboration undertaken by the two NGOs.

The children ended their first day at school with lunch at 1.00pm.

Elaborating on this noble initiative, NTA’s Director of External Affairs, Sherril Netto, explained that they had discovered pockets of refugees on Penang island where children have no access to any form of formal education.

The New Thessalonian Apostolate is a lay Catholic Missionary Organisation founded in 1993, dedicated to stewardship, spiritual formation, integral human development, and bringing the Gospel message to the world by reaching out and serving those most in need, in new and innovative ways.

The Lighthouse, on the other hand, was founded by the Diocese of Penang in 2003 to reach out to the urban poor and marginalised people of the society.

NTA’s Founder and Director General, Dave J. Kameron, expressed that NTA and The Lighthouse coming together is the most natural of collaborations as both organisations have similar philosophies. “One Thought, One Mission, One Church,” said Dave, “it feels like the disciples, Peter and Paul, coming together not only to serve the people, but also for the greater glory of God.”

Gerard Robless, the Director of TheLighthouse, said that the collaboration is the perfect example of two Catholic NGOs coming together with a common purpose to provide Catholic advocacy in public.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

In line with the theme of 2018, Be Disciples of Hope, the Feast of St Francis de Sales was celebrated on January 28 at the only church named after St Francis de Sales (SFDS) in Peninsular Malaysia. Prior to the feastday celebration, Novena prayers were organised in honour of St Francis de Sales at BEC level.

The first triduum Mass kicked off with prayers and the hoisting of the flag. The Mass was celebrated by parish priest Fr Vincent Paul on the theme He is Hope for all. During the homily, Fr Vincent shared how St Francis De Sales taught the people of his time all about the spiritual life in a simple way. He led a very devout life. In the same way, when we come to worship, we must surrender ourselves to God, thank Him and put all our pride aside. We must interact with one another.

Those serving in the ministries of the church must serve as Jesus served.

On the second day, the theme was He Heals. The homily was preached by Deacon Elect James Pitchay who has been assigned to the parish. He stressed that in order to be healed, we must open our hearts at all times. St Paul accepted whole heartedly when he was touched by our Lord and healed. There are three ways when Jesus heals;

a) Jesus goes to persons/people;
b) People go to Jesus, and
c) when somebody brings the person to Jesus.

For the third day, the theme was He is the Redeemer.

For the homily, Deacon James Pitchay stated that the Lord wants to redeem and save us. He urged the congregation to work for our own salvation.

On Saturday, the Holy Hour based on the theme He is the Word, was followed by a short reflection and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

On the feastday proper, the multi-lingual Mass was celebrated by Fr Vincent on the theme He is Power and Life. In his homily, Deacon Ricky Loo from Kuala Kangsar, said that the message for the day was “Love one Another.” He posed a question to all: whether we love Jesus. The answer is to love everyone as He did. God’s love is unconditional — Agape Love. It’s just like parents’ love for their children. It is not easy. We all need to have love in order to give love to others.

He explained that to fill our “Love Tank,” we must attend Mass regularly and pray everyday.

Before the final blessing, Fr Vincent thanked the Deacons who had come to assist and also the BEC coordinators and the parishioners for contributing in one way or another to make the feastday celebration a memorable one.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

Members of the Penang Diocese Association of Religious celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord 2018 over the February 2-4 weekend at the Church of the Holy Name of Mary, Permatang Tinggi.

It began at 4.30pm with Mass, one hour adoration at Domus St Anne, Bukit Mertajam, followed by a fellowship dinner.

On February 3, vocation promotion displays were set-up in the smaller of two halls, courtesy of Fr Augustine Wong, the Parish Priest of the Church of the Holy Name of Mary. Colourful banners, books, brochures, bookmarks and collar pins in one case, told the story of each Congregation.

Visitors over the next two days were led through the displays by the religious members who elaborated on the foundation and expansion of the respective congregation; its mission / vision and the outcome of their missionary efforts in the lives of the people they ministered. The whole mission field of the Church was covered, from apostolic to monastic, from children to elderly, from towns to villages, from Europe to Kelantan.

The religious priests, brothers and sisters participated in all the weekend Masses. They shared their personal vocation stories and it is hoped that it would have an impact on the listeners .

This year’s celebration has been different from previous years. Permatang Tinggi is fertile ground for promotion of priestly and religious vocations. The different language groups are vibrant, attendance at services is inclusive, parishioners come as families, breakfast fellowship cements bonding. They love the church, they love the liturgy and they love their parish priest. What a beautiful witness to the Catholic Church.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR: With the blessing of Archbishop Julian Leow and the efforts of Fr Edwin Peter, along with the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission’s Committee, the first Retrouvaille Weekend in Malaysia was held in Kuala Lumpur January 26 – 28, 2018. Ten couples took home a richly-rewarding experience.

The presenting team was Fr Arul Raj from India, Max & Sam from Singapore, Merit & Bernie from the Philippines and Canute & Lourett from Kuala Lumpur.

Troubled and hurting marriages now have a lifeline available to them — they can get specialised help from the Retrouvaille programme.

Archbishop Julian Leow gave this advice to hurting couples in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. “The Retrouvaille Weekend will now provide a programme specially aimed at healing troubled and hurting marriages,” said the Archbishop.

He added that Family Life is one of the eight priorities of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, the Church wants to reach out to married couples through such enrichment programmes.

Echoing the Archbishop’s views, Fr Edwin, one of the Ecclesiastical Assistants to the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission, said that the Retrouvaille programme helps married couples who are struggling to communicate, struggling to stay together, are cold and distant from each other, are separated or divorced, but want to try again.

“Retrouvaille helps couples put the pieces back together and rebuild loving relationships,” said Fr Edwin, who is also the parish priest of the Church of the Sacred Heart in KL.

Fr Edwin ‘prayerfully guaranteed’ that Retrouvaille will help couples discover how listening, forgiveness and healing, communication and the dialogue process are powerful aids for building a loving and lasting relationship. He said that the weekend itself is not a ‘miracle cure’ and emphasised that attendance of the post-weekend sessions are important. The sessions have been designed to continue the healing and communication begun on the first weekend. Joseph and Anita Pragasam, chair couple of Archdiocesan Family Life Commission, noted that the Church is very concerned with the state of marriages and the growing trend of separations and divorces leading to fragmented families and a breakdown of traditional family structures.

Explaining further, Joseph & Anita said that the Retrouvaille programme begins with a weekend experience in which hurting couples learn to gain new insights into themselves, as individuals and as a couple. Retrouvaille is based on the belief that marriage is the most significant relationship in any society and is worth the investment of time, energy and efforts to make it the best it can be.

“During the Retrouvaille Weekend, couples will be encouraged to put the past behind them and to look beyond the hurt and pain in order to rediscover each other in a new and positive way,” said the Pragasams.

Joseph & Anita also mentioned that, during the Weekend, couples will not be asked to share their problems openly or with anyone.

For further information on the Retrouvaille programme, call and speak confidentially to coordinators Basil 016-7768274 or Martina 019- 2305776. All enquiries are treated with the utmost confidentiality.–Retrouvaille Committee

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KUALA LUMPUR (Herald Malaysia): At least once a year, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). Traditionally the week of prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated January 18-25. The theme for 2018, Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power is inspired by Exodus 15:6. The theme and text for each year’s observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are chosen and prepared by representatives of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

At the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, parish priest Fr Albet Arockiasamy and the Parish Ministry of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (PMEIA) team initiated the Christian Unity Week, and invited the various Christian denominations and churches/chapels within the vicinity of Puchong to come together for a day of prayer. The main aim was to welcome people from other denominations to a meeting place to pray for church unity, for peace in the country and the world, and for blessings on one another.

Members from seven churches came together on Jan 28 for a special ecumenical prayer service. The church pastors were given different parts in the liturgical prayer service in which the congregation participated.

The homilies were given by Fr Albet and Pastor Johnson. They touched on the theme Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power (15:6). The liberation and salvation of God’s people comes through the power of God. He is always victorious over his adversaries as he always protects his own people.

In spite of the determination of Pharaoh, God heard the cry of his people and did not let them perish. The purpose of this redemption was to preserve the Israelites as a people of praise and a sign of God’s steadfast love.

The liberation brought hope and a promise for the people. Hope because a new day had dawned when the people could freely worship their God. It was also a promise: their God would accompany them throughout their journey and no force could destroy God’s purpose for them. We, too, in this age need the liberation and salvation of God in our lives every day.

The aim for the day was achieved as there was a visible sign of unity among the Christian churches. We hope to further work together on common issues and encourage many more to join us in this mission to be united as one people of God.

As Christians pray and work together we discovered just how important this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is for our world today.

We thank all the participating churches, the congregations and their priests/pastors for making this an eventful and blessed evening.

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online

KOTA KINABALU – Sacred Heart Cathedral (SHC) and Church of Mary Immaculate (CMI) parishioners of the three language groups turned up for the combined opening of the weekly Way of the Cross at its outdoor Centenary Way of the Cross Monuments here on 16 Feb 2018 despite being the first day of the Chinese New Year.

The Way of the Cross is a traditional devotional practice during Lent worldwide.

Archbishop John Wong animated those present before the 14 stations were read out alternately in English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Mandarin.

After the opening event, SHC will hold it every Friday in the cathedral during Lent at 6 pm (English), 7 pm (BM) and 8 pm (Mandarin).  CMI will have it at 7:30 pm in English and Mandarin.

There will be a combined closing Way of the Cross at the monuments on Good Friday Mar 30 at 7 am with Passion Play.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KOTA KINABALU –  The Bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei have decided to give dispensation to all Catholics from abstinence on Friday, 16 Feb 2018, in view of the festive season of Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year is a time of rejoicing with family members, loved ones and friends as they usher in the new year according to the Chinese custom.

This decision was made during the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei (CBCMSB) in January.

This year the first day of Chinese New Year fell on the Friday after Ash Wednesday (Feb 14), the third day of Lent.

Consequently, the atmosphere was a bit subdued during the CNY Mass celebrated at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Feb 16. The Gloria was omitted.

As in past years, there was the usual drum display by five drummers: Frankie Wong, 14, and his brother Brian, 12;  Jessica Liew, 12; Megan Sham, 19; and Betty Kong, 19.

Among the appreciative thousand over faithful were Archbishop John Wong, Abp Emeritus John Lee, Fathers Paul Lo, Max Hontor, Joshua Liew, Joseph Fung sj, and the religious sisters.

In his homily, Abp Wong related salvation history to the LNY celebration theme, urging everyone to seek first the Kingdom of God before anything else, and to have that sense of loyalty and faithfulness to God which a dog (being the Year of the Earth Dog) has toward its owner.

At the presentation of gifts, 17 presenters brought candles, flowers, fruits, vegetables, sticky rice cake, kuazi, money, bread and wine to the altar.

After Communion Prayer, Abp Wong blessed 10 big baskets of mandarin oranges to be distributed to the faithful after Mass.

The Chinese rite of bowing three times before the altar (representing God) by all, to the concelebrants by the faithful, and to each other took place before the final blessing and dismissal.

As part of their appreciation tradition, the Chinese community gave ang pows to the clergy and religious present.

After the distribution of oranges, many of the faithful and clergy adjourned to the front of the parish centre for the lion dance performances by the You Yi Troupe.

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu