God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

08/09/2009 • 9:42 am 2

09.08.2009 Sunday blues…and toughts about the sermon…

Sunday morning – and the usual ritual. Going to the office, last preparation for the church service and then off we go. And as every Sunday the question before: Does my sermon meets what the people need to hear…? Need to hear to go home afterward more joyful, more thoughtful, with more sun and love and compassion in their hearts? Am I able to touch their hearts and minds – those of the adults, but also those of the kiddies, the young and the old ones?

When I do prepare for a sermon, I always have somebody in front of my mind, or a situation close to my heart. Theological lectures are for study purposes, a sermon should bear witness from my faith, my thoughts, my questions, my experience with the unconditional love. I strongly believe that I can only touch peoples lives when they sense that my words are matched by my life experience. Otherwise I only deliver bloodless words…

Getting feedback on my sermons is very important to me. When I hear that a family was still discussing the sermon on the way back home, or somebody after quite a while can still tell me what I said on that occasion.. it is amazing for me and I feel blessed being able to be a blessing for others. Or an encouragement. Or a stone to stumble and get into deeper thoughts about life and faith.

Whatever it is, a sermon, even if nobody is able or willing to respond directly, must be a dialogue of hearts, otherwise it is a waste of time. Lets hope for this dialogue this morning again.

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08/01/2009 • 5:29 pm Comments Off on 01.08.2009 Can a priest or religious be hiv positiv?

01.08.2009 Can a priest or religious be hiv positiv?

Dealing with HIV and AIDS on an ongoing base, it is interesting to note, that in our church we are always doing something for others, for those who are belonging to the flock, so to speak. But what is with those of us, the priests, the religious, the seminarians, those, preparing themselves for ordination – how do they cope with their infection? Isn’t it like having a double stigma – for seemingly having done something not allowed and this in the field of sexuality – forbidden for those who live celibacy.

Have you ever thought about those of the clergy being not able to disclose because the parishioners, or the bishop, or the fellow clergymen would reject and discriminate against such a person? Having a whole generation of youngsters born HIV positive – how if they receive a calling? Some seminaries or bishops require a medical certificate – being HIV positive excludes them for being trained to be a priest. How many orders don’t take brothers when they are infected? Does God not call people with the virus?

HOPE Cape Town and the Justice & Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Cape Town want to tackle these questions and to reach out to those who are infected and working in the fields of the Catholic Church. We are in the beginning to set up a network of pastoral care, of networking which should reach far beyond South Africa.
http://www.hopecapetown.com/poz

So if you know about somebody, make him or her aware of this offer. I will continue to report on the progress of this initiative – confidentiality is guaranteed and on the website there are the emails of different persons to contact.

Let’s brake the silence about HIV and priests and religious in our own church and let this stigma be turned into a charisma for the person concerned and for the community, he or she is working in. And let us convene the unconditional love of God to all of those, who are serving in the Catholic Church with the virus and all, what comes with it.

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07/06/2009 • 6:44 pm Comments Off on 06.07.2009 Things happen..

06.07.2009 Things happen..

How do u got involved with HIV and AIDS? This is one of the usual question, when visitors come to Cape Town and visit the HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, seeing all the work done meanwhile through this organisation. And right, I was not sent by the German Catholic Bishops Conference to work in this field but to serve as the chaplain to the so called German speaking Catholic Community in Cape Town and there was no word in the contract mentioning the suffering of the millions in this country.
Being responsible for an immigration flock, it comes naturally that one tries to see how the community as “guests of the country” can contribute to the well-being of it’s people. So in the beginning I assisted in computer programs, life skills training and here and there a hand-out, but after 2 years into my time, I came across Tygerberg Academic Children’s Hospital and there it happened. Being instrumental to assist in a tele-medicine project of local Rotary clubs, I was asked to assist also in the field of HIV and AIDS. At that time, every third child admitted to hospital was HIV positive. And most died as there has been no medication 1999 available via the national health services.

I was prepared to help and envisaged a small little support structure to help out, not knowing, that this was indeed a turning point in my carrer as a priest and that from that very day on, the topic would accompany me, even brings me in sometimes in conflict with some representatives of the Roman Catholich Church. Why? Because no issue is more dangerous as the one which has to do with death and sex – and in both, religous institutions guard their superiority and touches therefore on the moral teaching of the churches. Caution is advised not to fall into the many traps lying along the way, especially when you are yourself a representative of such an institution. And I am one; indeed, I enjoy to be one and being a priest is for me one of the most attractive professions I can imagine.

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07/06/2009 • 9:09 am Comments Off on 06.07.2009 Blogging

06.07.2009 Blogging

Blogging is “in” and so should also a priest allowed to write about his work, his topics, his dilemmas, joys and sorrows.  As I am working in South Africa and besides my parish work, which will soon be coming to an end as the chaplain of the German speaking Catholic Community, I dedicate lots of time into the work in the fields of HIV and AIDS, this blog will obviously deal foremost with these topics. But also the development of the church and politics are on the agenda – a good Christian is also a participating citizen and politics and religion have much in common.

I am looking forward to comments, encouragement and critical comments, but they should at least be constructive. 🙂 If there are fellow bloggers also in the fields of HIV and AIDS or in the circle of religion, feel welcome to make contact. All discussions, which connect different worlds and point of views will bring this world foreward in the best sense of the word.

sh

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