Letters

Saint Damien of Molokai

Arnold Jago

Contents - Dec 2009 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Benedict XVI: When God entered human history - Pope Benedict XVI Ut Unum Sint: Benedict XVI eases way for Anglicans wishing to 'cross the Tiber' - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Marriage: A Biblical defence of marriage: Africans take the lead - Babette Francis Victoria: Abortion evil: pro-life forces need to be united - John Morrissey Episcopacy: Church leadership responsibilities: an American case study - Phil Lawler Events: Melbourne - The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (1962 Missal) How to get Vatican II back on track: a bishop's prescription - Bishop R. Walker Nickless (Sioux City, Iowa) Foundations of Faith: The Eucharist: what the Old and New Testaments tell us - Br Barry Coldrey Vatican II: Yves Congar, Vatican II, ecumenism: finding the right balance - Andrew Kania Saints: Saint Damien of Molokai: Robert Louis Stevenson's prediction fulfilled Letters: New religion - Peter Donald Letters: Stewardship - Peter Finlayson Letters: Greens and Church - Kevin Cains Letters: Climate change - A.R. (Tony) Grieve Letters: Lost opportunity - Maureen Federico Letters: Saint Damien of Molokai - Arnold Jago Letters: Women priests - Ken Bayliss Letters: Complementarity - Kathleen Wood Books: 111 QUESTIONS ON ISLAM: Samir Khalil Samir SJ on Islam and the West - Michael E Daniel (reviewer) Books: THE MASS AND THE SAINTS, by Thomas Crean OP - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: IMAGES OF HOPE, EUROPE TODAY AND TOMORROW, by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: This month's selection from AD Books Reflection: The sacrament of Christian marriage: a nuptial Mass homily - Fr Glen Tattersall

Pope Benedict XVI has recently canonised five new saints, including Father Damien de Veuster, a 19th-century Belgian priest who worked with lepers living in government-sanctioned segregation in Molokai, Hawaii.

Saint Damien died from leprosy at Molokai in 1889, at the age of 49.

The Pope urged the faithful to learn from 'the luminous examples of these saints', who, as he said 'did not put themselves at the centre but chose to go against the current and live according to the Gospel.'

He also called for prayer and help for 'all those engaged with generosity in the fight against leprosy', and what he called 'other forms of leprosy - caused by lack of love, by ignorance and cowardliness.'

Many people today regard Saint Damien as a symbol of how society should treat, not only leprosy sufferers, but also those with HIV/AIDS.

Several 'Damien Centres' have been established worldwide to serve HIV/AIDS sufferers. It should be noted that 27 percent of health care for HIV/AIDS victims worldwide is provided by Catholic organisations.

ARNOLD JAGO (DR)
Mildura, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 22 No 11 (December 2009 - January 2010), p. 15