“May we completely outgrow the approach of seeing the Church as some kind of spiritual supermarket where we shop for spiritual good, but for which we assume no responsibility, and of which we have no sense of ownership. May we cease to view the Church as some sort of a spiritual bus in which we are passively carried from one destination to another. A spiritual bus in which you are carried from earth to heaven,”
“What a moment to be here physically after a long time as a conference”, said Bishop João Rodrigues, the Bishop of Tzaneen, in the opening words of his homily during the opening Mass of the Plenary Session. The plenary is taking place at St. John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, the same place where the bishops last met physically for a plenary meeting back in January 2020.
On Pentecost Sunday, 23
rd May 2021, the Bishop of Tzaneen, Bishop Joao Rodrigues released a letter announcing the next phase in the Cause of Canonisation of Blessed Benedict Daswa. It is a fact that a many people have been wondering what is happening with the cause now as it seemed that things have gone quiet. When it comes to the Causes of Beatification and Canonisation a lot of work takes place behind scenes and the Cause for Blessed Benedict Daswa has not been an exception in this regard.
As Bishop Rodrigues states in the letter the cause for the beatification of Blessed Daswa was that of martyrdom therefore “there was no need for a miracle to be recognized by the church for the first phase of the process”, meaning there was no need for a miracle for the beatification to take place. But for canonisation a miracle was required and it is to this factor that he has written the later to give an update of the process towards canonization. The bishop said, “Some of the faithful
Macau Catholics combine culture and faith for new year
The faithful joined special Masses in nine parishes to welcome the Year of the Ox
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Catholics in Macau participate in a procession to honor Mother Mary in this file photo. (Photo: Jornal O Clarim)
Catholics in Macau welcomed the Year of the Ox by connecting their religious faith with Chinese culture and tradition as they joined special thanksgiving Masses to honor Our Lady of China in the former Portuguese colony.
The faithful joined special Masses in nine parishes of Macau Diocese in the Chinese-ruled territory starting from Feb. 12.
The tradition of connecting faith with culture for the lunar new year has been in place since the time of Macau Diocese’s last Portuguese bishop, D. Arquiminio Rodrigues da Costa (1976-83).