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A Lot OF People In Hong Kong Have The Opportunity To Continue To Higher Education But Why Are Many Still Culturally Unmotivated?—The Respected School Headmaster & Writer Mr Terence Chang Gave An Answer

We get impatient and short-sighted when we compare and compete with other people. Hong Kong is always the winner of the most populous city in the world. The average living space per capita in Hong Kong is less than 1.3 meter for a staggering population of 7 million. Everywhere is jammed with heads. We are forced to compare and compete. An overnight success is the dream of most people here. Immediate monetary results give us instant gratification. For most people, art and culture area are only a remote goal of self-actualization, especially in terms of spiritual enrichment. They will not produce quick material pleasure.

The famous cultural writer Mr Terence CC Chang(張灼祥), former headmaster of the distinguished Diocesan Boys’ School, gave a low moan, “Aww, a man in Hong Kong is often guided more by money considerations than by ideals, emotions and mental well-being. He compares, competes and fancies being as rich as a tycoon. The common situation is that people have no heart or they don’t follow their hearts. Art and culture are not valued because they are intangible. They are usually not treated as part of life and regarded as a non-essential feature of life, reserved for the few, and worst of all, the most time-wasting activity.”  

Mr Chang is a very respected writer, radio culture program host and school headmaster in Hong Kong. I would love to learn how he could do many things at the same time. He smiled, “Well, mission and passion! But those were the decomposed days and right now, I am enjoying my easy retirement.” Mr Chang had been the principle of 4 schools including Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College, Jockey Club Ti-I College and Diocesan Boys' School.

Born in the Chinese Mainland, Mr Chang later migrated to Hong Kong as his father, also a school headmaster, wanted to establish new ties here. Mr Chang studied well and went to The University of Hong Kong in the 60s and after that, abroad to the USA. He recollected, “I have fond memories from my childhood in a small village of Sheung Shui where many film shoots were taken. I watched actors acting and storytelling by directors. That was the best of culture in the countryside.”

I asked Mr Chang, “As a culturist, how did you promote culture in school?” He gently explained, “2 key words: ‘cultural opportunities’, apart from the usual ways of just disseminating knowledge included in a syllabus. The extracurricular activities must provide opportunities for a young boy or girl to experience and build connections with the spiritual beauties such as music, drama, painting, design and literary art. Such exposure is important as kids will be inspired and therefore aspire. They will gradually emulate who they are surrounded by and what they ultimately decide to become!”

Mr Chang paused for a while, “But it is not good enough to ‘know’. After seeing and listening, kids must learn to appreciate! Art appreciation is an important process. It helps us bring our own knowledge, experience and taste to the ability of feeling things which are invisible between the art works and us.”

I was eager to know, “Education, even at university level, is common in Hong Kong but why are many people still culturally unmotivated?” He pondered, “Hong Kong is a material and speculative city. Confidence often comes from money. Many people here want to grab money and go. There is nothing deep down inside them. I think when more and more people realize the satisfaction from a nice concert or a book is greater than a Rolex watch or a Hermès handbag, things can be different. I am positive! More and more young ones today care about work- life balance and I think the next trend should be a money-and-soul balance! Not making a lot of money should never be a shame or disgrace. Knowing nothing about history, literature, philosophy, film, music or art in future should be!”

I asked, “Hong Kong now has a government bureau to promote culture.  Any advice for them?” Mr Chang crossed his fingers, “Our government used to and is still very practical and material. All must be counted by numbers and for them a number simply means success.  For example, we want to tell others how many events, activities, venues and audience seats will increase per year. This can be a red herring or the wrong tree. It may show that the government does not fully understand what culture is all about and what it is meant for. The real embarkment should be the formulation and promotion of a set of social norms and human values that can be promoted to transform people here into civilised and appreciative beings. The real success must be that we can feel, on an everyday basis, that a lot of people in the city will change their coarse behaviour, and not the cosmetic phenomenon that Hong Kong is a place of cultural happenings.  The latter is often money-driven and will not be sustainable. The real cultural person need not go out to attend events and yet, say, by being alone or staying at home, he can be very cultural. Culture in Hong Kong must be social education.”

I slurred, “Obviously, you are not a great fan of the new ambitions like Hong Kong being a cultural economy or art business centre?” Mr Chang grinned, “I am not against it. The side benefits will surely help a community become a better place. I am simply worried that such means will become an end. A real cultural society will not in any event be born if art and culture are used as tradable goods.”

I insisted on digging out more, “Master, for you, what is an ideal cultural society?” He looked at me wittily, “Ha ha, by good education at home, at school and in the community, our people will enjoy, apart from making and spending money, reading a book, going to an arthouse cinema, listening to some quiet music, talking with friends about the true meaning of life. In other words, they will always have a heart which is seeking the spiritual emancipation of happiness!”

After the interview, I could not forget what Mr Chang told me, “Maurice, you don't have to let me check what you will write because for me, writers are to be respected and trusted.” A gentleman of real culture is so different.

Culture is not a bed of artificial roses. It is a beautifully craggy mountain where the wild river runs.

MLee

Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ba-cui-nan-shu-75619332?utm_medium=sharesheet&utm_source=sharesheet&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Book Fair 2019: Terence Chang and Chu Wan Pin  https://youtu.be/S1i5tTs4ldQ  Acknowledgement-HKTDC

Terence Chang – How to make Children enjoy reading  https://youtu.be/QYRvoYSuhpA  Acknowledgement – Sun Channel

Movie “Kung Fu” Trailer  https://youtu.be/PRbPXbgsKyE  Acknowledgement-KungFuTrailers

Diocesan Boys’ School Open Day  https://youtu.be/1XVmOhoTiB4  Acknowledgement-少少肥多多趣

SAINT OF THE DAY (August 1)

St. Alphonsus Liguori is a doctor of the Church who is widely known for his contribution to moral theology and his great kindness.

He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known as the Redemptorists, on 9 November 1732.

He was born on 27 September 1696 in Naples to a well-respected family and was the oldest of 7 children.

His father was Don Joseph de' Liguori, a naval officer and Captain of the Royal Galleys, and his mother came from Spanish descent.

He was very intelligent, even as a young boy. As a boy of great aptitude, he picked up many things very quickly.

St. Alphonsus did not attend school; rather, he was taught by tutors at home where his father kept a watchful eye.

Moreover, he practiced the harpsichord for 3 hours a day at the heed of his father and soon became a virtuoso at the age of 13.

For recreation, he was an equestrian, fencer, and card player. As he grew into a young man, he developed an inclination for opera.

He was much more interested in listening to the music than watching the performance.

St. Alphonsus would often take his spectacles off, which aided his myopic eyes, in order to merely listen.

While theatre in Naples was in a relatively good state, the young saint developed an ascetic aversion to perhaps what he viewed as gaudy displays. He had strongly refused participation in a parlor play.

At the age of 16, he became a doctor of civil law on 21 January 1713, though by law, 20 was the set age.

After studying for the bar, he practiced law at the age of 19 in the courts. It is said in his 8 years as a lawyer, he never lost a case.

However, he resigned from a brilliant career as a lawyer in 1723 when he lost a case because he overlooked a small but important piece of evidence.

His resignation, however, proved profitable for the Church. He entered the seminary and ordained three years later in 1726.

He soon became a sought-after preacher and confessor in Naples. His sermons were simple and well organized that they appealed to all people, both learned and unlearned.

However, his time as a diocesan priest was short-lived: in 1732, he went to Scala and founded the Redemptorists, a preaching order.

He was a great moral theologian and his famous book, “Moral Theology,” was published in 1748.

Thirty years later, he was appointed bishop and retired in 1775. He died on 1 August 1787.

He was beatified by Pope Pius VII on 15 September 1816. He was canonized by Pope Gregory XVI on 26 May 1839.

He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871.

A List of John’s Mandatory Duties & Voluntary Services to both Crockett’s Parish Community & the Greater Diocese :      or as i like to call it, “ the priest is busy as shit: a summary ”

it’s easy to think that a parish priest’s weekly duties just about begin and end with mass services and taking confessions. but that’s hardly the case ! an appointed diocesan priest is more often than not the primary leader of the day to day parish operations, church outreach programs, and deeply involved in various community services. on a small island like crockett, where there was essentially no additional church staff for the better part of 50 years ( beyond the sunday altar boys ), not only was john organizing these services, but carrying out a majority of them often by his lonesome. to be fully clear --- a number of these community programs and services were hardly mandatory for him to perform. but he certainly provided them anyway.

GENERAL PARISH RESPONSIBILITIES ( MANDATORY ) : 

mass services --- his most obvious responsibility, including sunday morning mass, as well as daily morning mass on the other days of the week. due to how small Crockett’s community is, only morning services take place, as there’s little to no demand for the afternoon / evening services that larger churches and congregations offer. 

seasonal celebrations & services --- these include Feast Day celebrations, Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, Easter Vigil, etc. during the Lenten season, John also leads an additional guided meditation and prayer through the Stations of the Cross on friday afternoons.

reconciliation --- John is present in the confession booth on tuesday and thursday afternoons, 1:00-3:00 pm. confessions are held on a drop-in, first-come first-serve basis during designated hours.

sacraments of initiation & associated celebrations --- Catholic Sacraments of Initiation include baptisms, first communion, and confirmation. accomplished together over the course of years ( a notably long process for children and teens ), these three sacraments together accomplish complete “initiation” into the Catholic parish. John acts as the primary religious educator and guide for the youth in his parish, and leads the associated celebrations of each sacrament’s completion, typically during a Sunday mass service during Lent. he’s also in charge of all the certificates and paperwork which go along with them. while the families of the kids are generally the ones to host receptions and parties following these milestones, John’s presence is mandatory. he does take it a step further though, often volunteering to lend a hand with planning and food if need be, and is always sure to bring a gift for his young parishioners who just completed the next steps of their initiation.

parish religious education & pre-confirmation group --- these go hand in hand with the sacraments of initiation. before children born into the church community are given their first communion or confirmation, they must be prepared for the sacrament in question.      Parish Religious Education, or PRE, seasonally caters to any children around the age of 7-8 years old. for the school year preceding their First Communion and First Reconciliation, they are taught a more in-depth ( and age-appropriate ) understanding of church practices and beliefs, symbolism of the celebrations of mass and liturgical seasons, bible stories, etc. your baseline How To Be A Catholic 101.      Pre-Confirmation Youth Classes run through both the school year and the summer for adolescents, the youngest of which are generally 13. parish teens are required to attend pre-confirmation group weekly for about two years before they complete the final sacrament of initiation, Confirmation. during which, their religious educator guides them through deeper understanding of their faith, helps them explore their own relationships with prayer and God, and has them engage in group religious philosophical discussion. many programs require the teens to complete mandatory hours of community service.      for the better part of his priesthood, John was the sole Catholic religious educator on Crockett, therefore organizing and executing all lesson plans. he taught PRE on Wednesday afternoons during the school year, and Pre-Confirmation Classes every Sunday after mass. each weekly meeting was about an hour long, not including mainland day trips sometimes taken with the teen group. such trips would include cathedral and religious history-related field trips, and opportunities for the teens to complete their community service hours at outreach events or social service operations held within the regional diocese ( food banks, soup kitchens, canned food and clothing drives, beach and park clean ups, etc. ). they were, of course, more than welcome to seek community service opportunities outside the church / diocese as well, if they felt a calling elsewhere. a few years in, John also began a tradition of an annual weekend camping trip for the Pre-Confirmation Second Years as a bonding excursion.      it should be noted that Catholics can be baptized, confirmed, and given first communion as adults, if they decide to convert later in life. classes for this are offered through a standard program called RCIA ( Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults ). because Crockett is such a small community and most of the parish community was born into the faith, there are no specific group meetings for them, but John will happily create a schedule and work one-on-one with any adult who comes to him looking to convert and work towards their sacraments of initiation.

weddings & pre-cana --- wedding services and celebrations themselves are likely self-explanatory, and yes, after Catholic weddings it is traditional for the priest to join in on the reception festivities. however, Catholics also go through a process called “pre-cana”, which are essentially pre-marriage counseling sessions with the priest, deacon or bishop who the couple has chosen to marry them. during these sessions, the priest ( John, in this case ) will guide the couple through discussions of their personal spirituality, conflict resolution skills, family planning expectations, finances, marriage commitments, ceremony and vow planning, etc., as well as any unique challenges or concerns that the couple might have about their union.       it should be noted that Catholics are not required to be married by / undergo Pre-Cana with their local parish priest. John is allowed to travel and lead pre-cana discussions / wedding ceremonies at mainland parishes for couples outside of Crockett who might know and request him. he’s officiated weddings for many family and childhood / college friends this way!

parishioner meetings & home visitations --- these are more so made by request, either with designated appointment times or, honestly, whenever a parishioner might come knocking or catch him for counsel. some might even call him for spiritual guidance or general advice over tea, coffee, dinner, etc. meetings with his parishioners can even be as casual as taking walks around the island and chatting about whatever might be on their minds, if the matter need not be confined to the privacy of either the rectory or their home. on a less serious note, John also makes a point to make home visits with gifts and baked goods on special occasions ( birthdays, graduations, personal accomplishments, new additions to the family, etc. ).

visiting the sick & viaticum  --- visitation of the sick services are offered to those parish members who are ill and homebound. during which, John will share Gospel readings, give them the Eucharist, and simply talk with and counsel them through the struggles of their sickness. he makes the point to visit any who become homebound on Crockett daily. much like many other priests, he will also make weekly visits to the closest port city hospitals and rest homes for those who might request him, or for those with cases of severe illness and no available caretakers, who had to be transported for care off-island.      the viaticum, or The Last Rites, are essentially the culmination of these visitations. these Sacraments are offered at bedside to a parishioner who is close to death, in effort to cleanse their soul and prepare them for the afterlife. this involves a final offering of Eucharist, a final Reconciliation session, and the final of the seven Sacraments (Anointing of the Sick).

funerals, wakes, & rosary services --- as per tradition, John would have lead guided rosary prayer and meditation during wakes or vigils for the deceased, as well as helped to guide, plan, and lead prayer over any ceremonies and burial services for the body.      much like weddings, Catholics are not required to have their local parish priest lead funeral services. if a family on the mainland wanted John to lead the service for their deceased loved one, instead of their immediate neighborhood priest, then he’d absolutely make the trip, his schedule permitting.

general church upkeep --- keeping st. patrick’s clean, tidy, repaired, appropriately decorated for the liturgical season, and adequately stocked? entirely his responsibility until he was well into his 70s. there were, of course, parishioners who offered to very kindly help, but for the most part he would have assumed responsibility for these things independently. 

CROCKETT COMMUNITY SERVICES ( VOLUNTARY ) :

catholic youth organization --- more readily referred to as its abbreviation, C.Y.O.s are individual parish outreach programs, sponsored and paid for in major part by the regional diocese, to provide low-cost ( and often free ) after-school programs and extracurriculars to children and teens when their families might, otherwise, not be in the financial position to afford these activities if offered by other institutions. despite the name, ANY CHILD age 8-17 can join a C.Y.O. program, Catholic or not, as long as they are within the geographical boundaries of the parish offering the program. while the services are connected to and operate under an individual parish, the focus of the programs are primarily to promote teamwork, character-building, and peer-bonding between the children of the community.       on a community as small as Crockett, “low-cost” registration fees were annual and covered a full calendar year of participation in any community activities offered --- “low cost” because, due to Crockett’s economical climate, registration was more often than not free after John helped families fill out registration forms in such a way that any fees might be waived and paid for by the diocese. he thankfully has a lot of experience with the ins and outs, seeing as he was active in C.Y.O.s himself in his youth. in other words, the diocese has plenty of money to spare and John knows how to pull the purse strings for all of the fee waivers and supplies they could want.      this is probably the most notable community service that John offered the island in both its heyday and his. John readily got to establishing and organizing a C.Y.O. program through St. Patrick’s starting in about ‘71 ( a year or so after he arrived ), due to just how little there was to do on Crockett for the kids, and he figured it would be a means of keeping the especially bored teens out of trouble. through the decades, the programs snowballed. the most notable were the competitive youth athletics teams he coached, being co-ed baseball, softball, and boxing. he would travel with said teams seasonally, where the kids would compete with mainland parish teams along the eastern seaboard. an additional program later added was competitive band and choir ( organized and led in conjunction by John and one of the schoolhouse teachers at the time, for which John held a massive fundraiser in effort to build a budget for second-hand instruments ). C.Y.O.s also often gather with many of the other regional diocese youth organizations for large-scale summer camps once a year --- things like competitive sports, gardening and environmental stewardship, cooking, dance, hiking, swimming, chess, and various arts and crafts are all taught over the course of 2 to 6 weeks. in his older age, John was not able to as easily attend. but in his youth, he’d often find a vicar to fill in for him on the island, so that he could attend camp with his small parish group as a chaperone and counselor. just so they’d have an adult that they knew with them.       unfortunately, as his age caught up with him and his health declined, John had to take more and more steps back from the programs on Crockett until they ultimately fell without his leadership.

community potlucks, fairs, & fundraisers --- many of these were founded by the priest for very simple reasons: they were events meant to bring the community closer together as a whole. the annual Crock Pot Luck quickly became tradition, of course. as did the small island fair, in which John and other members of the city council would taste-test and judge baked goods, jams, bbq, etc. fundraiser chowder fests, luncheons, and dinners were also often organized with help from the priest, seeing as it became clear he had a knack for gathering the community together. fundraisers were an effort to raise money not just for the church, but also for the C.Y.O. teams, or individuals families who could otherwise not afford repairs on their fishing boats or homes after storms, medical bills, etc. really, if someone was short on cash, it was a good enough excuse for John to suggest throwing an event and getting the community ( himself included ) to pitch in. this was the primary reason he wanted to get the recreation center built, with a place that would provide the community to host more dynamic and creative gatherings, that would draw an even larger crowd for his community’s sake.

SNAP assistance, food stamp programs & fresh produce solutions --- again, due to the economic struggles of the tiny fishing community, many families had trouble making ends meet and putting food on the table. worse yet, the village had one grocery store option, and little means of accessing the cheaper chains on the mainland. John set up food stamp application workshops through the church to help his community get the financial assistance they needed. additionally, his own sprawling backyard garden was a great source of seasonal produce in its heyday, readily welcoming his neighbors to gather whatever they might need from it. no judgment, no permission needed, and completely free of charge . families who were struggling but too proud to outright say it often got an “anonymous” produce box delivered to them under the cover of night.

city council --- a small but vital part of his role on a community like Crockett. John attended regular monthly council meetings to discuss community needs, budget allocations, and emergency preparation gatherings. for severe storms, St. Patrick’s was volunteered as the designated community refuge due to the size of the building. as part of the local emergency response team, John also lent a hand with offshore search and rescue if there were vessel crashes or loss of communication.

boat blessings --- .... listen. Catholic fishing community? you bet your ass he was sprinkling holy water / saying prayers over those boats at the start of every season for a bountiful catch and safe sailing. at the very least, it made the fishermen feel a little better.

alcoholics anonymous --- a program he did not begin on Crockett until his return from Damascus, of course. never much of a demand for it on the tiny island, but certainly a need! too bad it didn’t end all that well.

REGIONAL DIOCESE RESPONSIBILITIES ( VOLUNTARY / ELECTIVE ) :

seminary faculty  --- from his late 40s and into his 60s, John taught both religious history and theological philosophy courses on the mainland at the New England Bible College and Seminary in South Portland, ME, one of the port cities closest to Crockett. John also worked closely with local hospitals and churches to pair his students into chaplain, catholic ministry, or deaconship programs in preparation for their seminary graduation. and of course, some of his students did spend their vocational deaconship with John on Crockett for a year. being a seminary educator also meant chaperoning and leading annual pilgrimage trips with that year’s graduating classes. 

diocese of maine state standing committee --- John was one of four elected clergy officials to represent the regional diocese of portland from the late 80s and into the early 2010s. committee meetings occurred on a bi-monthly ( every two months ) basis. the committee primarily exists to manage state diocese budgets, allocate money to social services and C.Y.O.s run by the state’s catholic parishes, and above all, assist the bishop in presiding over the diocese with matters of finances, outreach, and community concerns.

exorcism --- John has indeed taken the Exorcism and Prayers of Liberation class offered by the Vatican. each diocese generally has one designated exorcist. though he has permission to perform such, it should be noted that major exorcisms are extremely rare as they require bishop, and sometimes even papal, approval. thorough investigation into all other possible explanations for “demonic activity or possession” must be pursued first. minor exorcisms, however, are performed quite routinely during baptisms if requested, and also as gestures of individual absolution.

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT JOHN BERCHMANS The Young Jesuit Scholastic Feast Day: August 13 (until 1969), November 26 (after 1969)

"To merit the protection of Mary, the smallest act of veneration would be enough, provided that it is performed with constancy."

St. John Berchmans was born in Diest, Belgium (in Flanders - part of the Seventeen Provinces, now in present Flemish Brabant) of very pious parents. His father was a shoemaker and three of their five children entered religious life. John studied in the local school and lived in the rectory of Notre Dame parish with other boys interested in the priesthood where he learn to pray and to serve Mass. When his father could no longer afford his education and withdrew him from school, John was very disappointed as he knew that he could never become a priest. The pastor of the Diest Beguinage offered to take John into his house as a servant and pay for his education in return. Later John served in Canon Froymont's household in Mechlin, served at tables, ran errands and care for other boarders. It was tough work after a full day in class but John’s desire to become a priest spurred him on.

In 1615, when the Society opened its college in Mechlin, John transferred there, met the Jesuits and decided to join them rather than the diocesan priesthood. As a novice, he performed all the prescribed duties with joy and exactness. He learned self control and not yield to instinct. Nothing was too small or humiliating for him as everything was the will of God. His mother died in 1616 and his father gave up his shoemaker shop and entered the diocesan seminary and was ordained a priest in 1618. Not only was Alphonsus now without family but his cloth business began to decline due to heavy taxes levied on exporting wool products that he was finally forced to give it up.

John began his philosophy in Antwerp in 1618, but was sent to study at the Roman college soon after. He was faithful to his religious duties and studies and did so well that when he concluded his philosophy in 1621, he was asked to defend his course in a public disputation. His health suffered during his studies and deteriorated while preparing for the disputation. After the disputation, he was to represent the Roman College at another disputation at the Greek College and the day after this he had his first attack of dysentery followed by fever which persisted. His superior sent him to the infirmary when he became pale and weak but his illness grew worse and feeble when his lungs became inflamed.

When it was clear that John was quickly slipping away, the whole Jesuit community came in procession bringing the Last sacrament to its dying brother. After receiving the Lord, John asked to be anointed. Everyone was in tears; John alone was calm, asked for his crucifix, rosary, and rule book and said: 'These are the three things most dear to me; with them I willingly die.'

The next day he endured a stream of Jesuits and classmates coming to see him for the last time. Fr. General also paid him a visit. John spent his last night on earth in prayer. The following morning, August 13, 1621, when the Jesuit community heard the tolling of the bell at 8.30, they knew that John was in Paradise.

It was the simplicity of John's life that made him attractive. His rector wrote: 'What we universally admired in him was that in all the virtues he showed himself perfect and that, with the help of divine grace, to which he responded his utmost, he performed all his actions with all the perfection that can be imagined.'

The Jesuits in Rome were convinced that John was a saint, and within a year after his death they began gathering data to be used for his beatification. Extraordinary accomplishments are not required for holiness. It was John Berchmans' ordinary deeds done extraordinarily well that brought him to sanctity.

John is beatified on May 9, 1865 by Pope Pius IX, and canonized a saint on January 15, 1888 by Pope Leo XIII.

Source: The Jesuits Prayer Ministry Singapore

John o' Groat Journal, 06 October 1864 - lots of papers carried the full London Telegraph article or shorter paraphrased versions like this. On the one hand this appealed greatly to worthy Church of England types - if Ignatius had worked harder at school he’d: a) be able to spell, and b) know full well what perversions monastic life invariably lead to.

On the other, coverage like this can be blamed for the rash of copycat brotherhoods which sprouted up during 1864/65. As any medieval Bishop would have warned them - don’t threaten people with a good time. Once you’ve described the sin you’ll be overrun with parishioners eager to give it a go...

We have troubles in the religious world. Father Ignatius is in grief. He belongs to the Church of England, at least he says so, and no Lord, Bishop, or Diocesan has said the contrary, probably because the State Church is now so wide as to embrace within its limits every shade of belief from infidelity to papistry. But for that reason I hesitate to speak of the Father lest any of your correspondents should accuse me of doing so in the illiterate and uncultivated style which always marks the Presbyterian or dissenting scribe. Shades of Buchanan, Campbell, and Blair, guide my feeble hand! Now Mr Ignatius, as you are probably aware, has founded a monastery in Norwich, and is endeavouring to propagate monasticism as a 'feature' of the Protestant Church of England, He has succeeded, it appears, in getting some disciples, whose piety may be guessed from what follows. 

A young lad, aged fifteen, the stepson of a widow in Norwich, and apprenticed to a printer, was in the habit of attending the choir of the monastery, but against his mother's wish, upon whose remonstrance Father Ignatius promised not to admit him again. But after this promise the boy went or was decoyed there, and a letter was put into his hand by a "brother 'Augustine,' which the lad handed to his mother. This letter was made public both in the provincial and metropolitan journals. I cannot criticise it in the nakedness of the English language, let me say it might have been written by Elagabalus to his dancer, charioteer, or prefect; it revived in the minds of scholars the most polluted and dark page of Greek and Roman history - 'peccatum illud horribile inter Christianos non nominandum.' 

Father Ignatius now writes to one of the morning papers, asserting his ignorance of the letter having been written, intimating that the offending brother was expelled, &o, and defending monasticism on the authority of Saints Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine. He characterises the letter as a 'tissue of trash,' 'a passing infatuation almost amounting to insanity,' and seems to have such strong faith in 'celibacy' that he would probably submit his monks and nuns to the ordeal, by which Cyprian tells as the virgins of Africa tested the unearthliness of their nature. Be this as it may, the world knows what it knows about monasticism--why lift the screen to gaze upon the putrid and stinking mass behind? 

I would speak of Ignatius himself, his mission is to reform the age and enlighten the heathen at home! Poor fellow, he sadly wants some kindly Samaritan to take him in hand, and fit him for the work. Here is a man speaking of the Fathers who cannot spell his own language--whatever the Fathers were they were at least men of powerful and cultivated intellects. It is enough to make the Ciceronian Lactantius, the philosophie and learned Eusebius rise in the flesh and denounce their successor. Here is a weak minded young man burning for notoriety, an enthusiast in the sense of being a dreaming innocent, an illiterate, an uneducated man, whose diction and orthography would disgrace a national schoolboy (and that's giving margin enough) aspiring to become the teacher of the age. Take this as a specimen of his spelling - it is impossible to describe his grammar and construction - 'emenated,' 'celebacy,' 'primitave;' 'hir;' 'hirself,' 'proofit,' 'eventualy,' &c. and with a lofty scorn he dispenses with the use of capitals, punctuation, or the division of his letter into sentences. God help the age with such a guide! What with spirit-rappers and Protestant monks one sighs for the 'education of the masses,' even with Social Science Congress aid.

An 11th-Century Scandal | America Magazine

"Mark Twain said that history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes. The sexual abuse scandal that continues to echo throughout the church in America, as evidenced by the recent controversy over the decision to allow Cardinal Bernard Law to preside at one of the memorial Masses for Pope John Paul II in Rome after his death on April 2, bears a striking resemblance to a series of crises that roiled the church in the Middle Ages, particularly in the 11th century. Then, as now, the higher clergy seemed to be completely unaware of the damage that scandalous sexual behavior was causing to both the victims and the community as a whole.

Problems in the 11th century were much more widespread than in our own. Priests and bishops were unaccountable to secular law, and abusive behavior extended beyond children to include adults. Many had concubines, or live-in prostitutes, who were completely at the mercy of their clerical patrons. Some bishops used their authority over the clergy to compel priests into acts of sodomy, as well.

But one cardinal, Peter Damian, was willing to address the abuse publicly, and he legitimated initiatives on the part of the laity to punish clerical offenders. Much of Damian’s analysis of the root causes of sexual abuse by members of the clergy is applicable to our own situation.

Peter Damian (1007-72), later canonized and declared a doctor of the church, learned about the destructive power of evil early in his life. Because his mother thought her family could not support another child, she refused to feed him as an infant. Only the intervention of the concubine of the local priest saved the baby’s life.

As a child in Ravenna, Italy, Peter Damian lost both of his parents. His medieval biographer claimed that he spent time with an abusive older brother before another brother, who was archpriest of Ravenna, took him in and saw to his education. In the diocesan cathedral school he attended, Damian became increasingly scandalized by the behavior of both students and professors. Rather than pursue a lucrative career as a professor and cleric, he chose to enter monastic life and devoted himself to the work of reforming the church. His accomplishments eventually included the creation of the process for electing popes.

Complaints from Damian about the church’s unwillingness to confront the sexual behavior of the clergy, however, met with inaction. In 1049 Damian wrote to Pope Leo IX (1048-54) about the cancer of sexual abuse that was spreading through the church: boys and adolescents were being forced and seduced into performing acts of sodomy by priests and bishops; there were problems with sexual harassment among higher clergy; and many members of the clergy were keeping concubines.

Peter Damian warned the pope that bishops were contributing to the growth of the problem by their failure to enforce church discipline. Members of the clergy who sexually abused others demonstrated by their actions that they had no fear of God, Damian argued. Such men were afraid only of being despised by the people and of losing their positions; they would do anything to avoid being stripped of their clerical status and identity. Knowing that their bishop would not remove them from their office and ministry gave such men license to continue in their wickedness. Thus in failing to discipline abusive members of the clergy, the bishops stood as guilty as the men who committed the crimes.

Convinced that it was the lack of episcopal leadership that was causing the sexual abuse scandal in his day, Damian offered this admonition:

Listen, you do-nothing superiors of clerics and priests. Listen, and even though you feel sure of yourselves, tremble at the thought that you are partners in the guilt of others; those, I mean, who wink at the sins of their subjects that need correction and who by ill-considered silence allow them license to sin. Listen, I say, and be shrewd enough to understand that all of you alike are deserving of death, that is, not only those who do such things, but also they who approve those who practice them (Rom 1:32).

correct their superiors publicly when they see serious sin or deviations from tradition. Virtue and power were not determined by a person’s sex. Rather, virtue is a gift from God.

So in 1064 Damian wrote to Duchess Adelaide of Turin, urging her to use her political power to address problems related to clerical sexual abuse. Using language that may seem offensive to us, he praised God for making Adelaide as strong as a man and drew upon a host of biblical citations, including the examples of Deborah, Jael, Judith, Esther, Abigail and other women who corrected and punished weak, evil or fearful men, to justify her action in reforming the male members of the clergy. The scriptural stories proved that God sometimes chooses women to be instruments of a more glorious triumph.

At the very least, Damian’s story calls into question the practice of covering up sins as a means to avoid scandal. It also provides a road map for church leaders to recover credibility by disciplining the bishops who have enabled sexual predators to damage the most vulnerable members of the people of God. And if the magisterial hierarchy proves unable to reform itself on these matters, St. Peter Damian offers a Catholic model of collaborative reform that includes the laity, religious, deacons and priests. Most important, his story shows that we have overcome sexual abuse scandals in the past by upholding faithfulness to our tradition and maintaining vigilance against corruption."

Nothing has changed in over 800 years with the Catholic Church. It's members were predatory then, just as now. These men have always abused children and the poor and are not going to stop. Leading bishops and others have been steadily working to chip away at our rights in this country. They've paid millions to take away Abortion rights for women, Gay rights, separation of church and state, and more. Meanwhile, they get their own theme party at the Met Gala one year and the current Pope is being sold as COOL somehow, because someone dressed him like Vanilla Ice.

The Catholic Church is dangerous and obviously very political. If anyone should lose their American protected tax status, it should be the church.

THE BOYS 🐐 . . . . . (at St. Martin's Diocesan School) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmcDvDWh3EeBnGAE4EE3OQh8nUBcTkGw-acYIE0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

How to choose the right school for your kid?

If you are new to Hong Kong or having a child going into secondary education, choosing the right school may be a difficult task for you, especially with the plethora of confusing acronyms like PIS, DSS, ESF, EDB ,- not to mention the geographical confusion like West Island School and South Island School are both located on Hong Kong Island while Island School is not, and all the abbreviations of schools names that all sound too similar: CAIS, CIS, CDNIS are all totally different schools and sometimes even the school name itself that all sound the same ( like Delia Memorial school and Delia School of Canada are not even remotely related in anyway).

Types of school

There are many types of school in Hong Kong and there are a lot of classifications: Government schools like Queen's College, Queen Elizabeth School, King's College. Direct subsidy schools (DSS) like St. Paul's Convent School, Diocesan Girls School, Diocesan Boys school, Ying Wa College, St. Paul's College. English Schools Foundation (ESF) schools like South Island School, King George V School, Discovery College, Renaissance College. Other International schools like Victoria Shanghai Academy, Malvern College Hong Kong, Kiangsu-Chekiang College International Section (KCCIS).

The most important thing to keep in mind is that most government schools only offer the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) and is mostly taught in Cantonese, so if your child is not familiar with Cantonese and Chinese teaching, you will need to consider schools that offer non-local curricula with includes ESF, PIS, or international schools, as well as some DSS schools.

As DSS schools are allowed to set their own curricula, some choose to offer non-local qualifications, often alongside the HKDSE. For example, Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College, Delia Memorial School Glee Path, Li Po Chun United World College, and St Paul's Coeducational College offer the IB Diploma and YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College, Diocesan Girls' School and St. Paul Convent School offer GCE A-Levels.

Of all options, DSS schools will be the most affordable as they receive a government subsidy while PIS and international schools will be the costliest, although prices vary greatly from school to school. ESF schools have a long history in Hong Kong and, while not as affordable as they once were, they are still reasonably priced compared to many other international schools.

Subject Choice

Although schools may offer the same programs, they may not necessarily have the same subjects on offer. This can be important if your child has a particular degree programme in mind that has specific entry requirements. For instance, if your child aspires to study Theatre in the UK, it would be beneficial for them to have taken A-Level Drama & Theatre or IB Theatre. However, not all schools that offer A-Levels or the IB Diploma offer Theatre. For instance, YMCA, Kellett School and Independent Schools Foundation Academy (ISF) do, but Kiangsu-Chekiang College, International Section and Singapore International School do not. Other subjects that may not be offered at all schools include Design Technology, Computer Science, Music, Business Management, Psychology, Philosophy and Environmental Systems and Societies.

If your child is thinking of applying to the US, there are fewer subject specific requirements, but since college credit is offered by many colleges for particular courses/levels, this may also be a consideration in subject and level choices.

Language Requirements and Provision

Many schools in Hong Kong have a bilingual Chinese-English teaching approach which may require students to take Chinese as part of their IB Diploma Programme, as is the case for Chinese International School and ISF Academy, for instance. This means that students that do not have a strong grasp of Chinese language already, will not be eligible to join these schools at senior secondary level.

Some schools offer students the option to self-study their mother tongue, such as Li Po Chun UWC and ESF schools do, but most do not. The variety of second language options on offer will also vary by school so if this is an important consideration, make researching this a priority.

Curriculum

Most senior secondary students are firmly focused on what comes next: a university degree. If your child wishes to return to their country for higher education, you may wish for them to sit the national exit qualifications for your country i.e. German Abitur, French Baccalaureat, Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) etc. If this is the case, you are likely to be limited to a relatively small number of schools that offer these specialised curricula; the OSSD is only offered at Canadian International School (CDNIS) and Delia School of Canada, for instance. Even Advanced Placement courses are only offered at a handful of schools in Hong Kong such as International Christian School (ICS), Hong Kong International School (HKIS), The Harbour School, Concordia International School, American International School and Christian Alliance International School (CAIS).

If following a national curriculum is not a consideration, you may wish to consider international options instead. By far the most popular international curriculum on offer for senior secondary students in Hong Kong are the two programs offered by the International Baccalaureate, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP).

Over 170,000 students worldwide undertook DP assessment in 2020 (exams were cancelled due to Covid-19) of which 2,293 students were located in Hong Kong in 34 different schools. Hong Kong has some of the best IB Diploma results in the world; in the May 2020 session 1 in 10 students who achieved a top score of 45 points were from Hong Kong schools.

The MYP, which culminates in Grade 10/Year 11 is offered by 15 schools in Hong Kong. IGCSEs, the internationalised version of the British GCSE qualifications and also undertaken in Grade 10/Year 11, are also perennially popular in Hong Kong, being offered by over 20 schools including German Swiss International School (GSIS), French International School (FIS) and Kellett School. International curricula such as the IB Diploma are recognized by colleges and universities globally, although students need to pay careful attention when choosing their subjects and levels as universities and courses have specific course requirements for students to be eligible to apply.

Students following an applied learning pathway might be interested in either the BTEC or the IB's Careers Programme (CP) pathway, which are offered through ESF schools.

Read more: https://www.foryouedu.com.hk/

[ad_1] 
 Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town.
 A scathing eight-page letter by disgruntled mother and father on the Bishops Diocesan College has highlighted their considerations concerning the fast adjustments within the college's "culture, spirit and identity".The letter complained concerning the college's administration below the present head, Tony Rheeler, who was appointed in June 2020.The college stated the letter doesn't precisely replicate the opinions of all mother and father current at a gathering that passed off in August. A bunch of "concerned" Bishops Diocesan College mother and father have taken their gripes with the elite Cape Town boys' faculties to social media, complaining concerning the fast change within the college's tradition, spirit and id.In a scathing letter circulated on social media, the disgruntled mother and father highlighted the truth that the college was "no longer a happy place for many of the boys, parents and an increasing number of teachers, who have lost their respect and pride in the school". In it, mother and father raised considerations concerning the college administration and transformation at Bishops College below the management of the present Head, Tony Reeler, who was appointed in June 2020.  "Bishops' esteem and reputation among the broader community has also suffered since Reeler took over as head. Parents who can afford to send their children to Bishops are electing to send them to South African College High School (Sacs), Rondebosch or Wynberg as they still believe that tradition, pride in one's school, a celebration of excellence, respect and manners have a place in a modern boys' school," the letter learn.The group had raised considerations about shedding a number of the college's longstanding traditions and took umbrage with the college's choice to fly the Pride flag, which, in keeping with them, made some college students "uncomfortable". It acknowledged:The choice to fly the Pride flag along with the Bishops flag doesn't merely reveal help or create consciousness of the homosexual group, however as an alternative demonstrates a direct affiliation between Bishops and the Pride motion and all that it represents. Regardless of their sense of tolerance and acceptance of homosexual people, it's felt by many that almost all of learners don't want themselves or their college as a complete to be considered as a part of, or related to, the Pride motion.Parents additionally complained that self-discipline was being undermined on the college by points comparable to an absence of manners, lack of respect for others, messy hair and uniform, extreme vaping and limitless cellphone utilization. In response to the mother and father' complaints, the college circulated their very own letter on social media conceding that they'd acquired varied correspondence from involved mother and father over the previous few weeks."These communications were sent to Mr Simon Peile, chair of the Bishops council, who asked us to arrange an informal meeting with a few concerned parents, to fully understand these issues," the college's communique learn.A gathering was subsequently held in August with involved mother and father, and it was determined that Peile would take into account and handle points with the council "in a professional manner". "However, what ensued was that an informal letter was drafted by a few parents who attended the meeting. Although the letter was addressed to the chair of the council, it was not sent to him and was prematurely circulated on social media prior to a meeting with the council. We consider early publishing of these parental concerns on social media to be most unfortunate and counter-productive," it added. READ | Parents fuming after 'elitist' behaviour blights Bishops-Wynberg schools' rugby matchThe communique confused that whereas the letter

does elevate problems with concern, the tone and extent of the letter don't precisely replicate the opinions of all mother and father current, nor does it replicate the extent of the discussions that had been taken on the assembly. "The council is urgently looking into the concerns that have been raised," it added. Peile informed News24 that Bishops had simply accessible channels of communication, and it will have been a quite simple matter for the authors to ship him the letter if that was their intention."The issues raised at the meeting ranged from the perennial boys' school issues of tidiness, hair, dress and manners to the poor results of the rugby teams this year; traditions; perceptions around a slippage in educational standards; concerns around the centrality of the role of the Anglican Christian faith in the daily life of the school; the visibility of the principal and the apparently undue focus placed by the principal on transformation and addressing issues such as homophobia within the school," he stated. Peile added that the council additionally expressed its unanimous help for Reeler and the progress that he has made in addressing the essential topic of variety, fairness and belonging on the college. "The focus on transformation by the principal is clearly an issue for the 'concerned' parents. I wish to place it on record that leading the school forward in its transformation journey was very much part of Mr Reeler's job description when he was appointed as principal to lead the school from mid-2020.As an Anglican Christian school, we are determined to provide an environment where every individual is made to feel welcome and respected irrespective of their race, creed or sexual orientation," he added. Peile confused that change was uncomfortable. "For some, it will happen slower than they would like, while for others it happens too quickly," he stated.  [ad_2] Source link

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Bishop Hassan Dehqani-Tafti (bottom left), with his wife (Margaret, bottom right), and children (daughters Shirin, Sussanne, and Guli; son Bahram). Source. The Right Reverend was the first ethnic Persian to hold to office of Bishop of Iran in the Anglican Church. Dehqani-Tafti was technically a convert to the faith, but Christianity was an interwoven element in his life from before his birth. A gradual process, Dehqani-Tafti’s conversion highlights how blurred the lines Christianity and Islam can be. The outline of this relationship, given below the cut, is derived from the doctoral thesis of Sister Agnes Angela Wilkins, “From Islam to Christianity: A Study in the Life and Thought of Hassan Dehqani-Tafti and Jean-Mohammed Abd-El-Jalil in the Ongoing Search for a Deeper Understanding Between Christianity and Islam,” itself heavily reliant on the Right Reverend’s autobiography.

Childhood and Education

Hassan was the son of Mohammad, an illiterate but pious Muslim, and Sekinah. Sekinah, the daughter of a ‘Mulla Zahra,’ who received that honorary title for being able to read and recite the Qur’an, was a convert to Christianity. She had worked as a nurse with her mother in a missionary hospital, and it was there that she decided to be baptized. She also learned to read and write. After being married to Mohammad, she had three children, the middle one being Hassan. For the first five years of his life, Hassan, despite being raised a Shi‘a Muslim, remembers visits from the missionaries and singing songs with Biblical themes. This changed after his mother died, when he was about five years old. Before her death, Sekinah had requested that a friend of hers help raise at least one of her children to be Christian; this friend, a Ms. Kingdon, spent about a year and a half trying to convince his father to allow it. Ultimately, the boy was allowed, spending about a year in an otherwise all-girls school. There, he learned The Lord’s Prayer and memorized a few psalms, in addition to learning the Persian alphabet. Once he beeccame too old to stay at an all-girl’s school, the boy was sent to a missionary school in the former Safavid capital of Isfahan. It was there that he studied calligraphy, poetry, and Scriptures under the headmaster Jalil Aqa. Jalil Aqa was of Cossack descent, but had fully integrated into the Persian culture of his upbringing. As a young man, he was a Sunni Muslim, but with a strong mystical bend. He converted to Christianity through conversations about the relationship between Christ and the body of believers with missionaries at a hospital. Jalil Aqa represented a kind of Christianity that “digested the best of Persian culture, and then had baptized the whole into [itself].” Nonetheless, the young Hassan would oscillate between the Christianity of his schooling and the Islam of his family life. By the time he was 15, his father wavered over whether he should continue to allow his son to go to school, but ultimately allowed him to; by 17, Hassan had written a list of 77 resolutions he wished to follow; by 18, he was a baptized Christian. Many friends no longer spoke to him, he could no longer eat from the same bowl as his family, and contact with him made his loved ones ritually impure. His father described watching his son convert to Christianity as akin to having his hand cut off.

Crisis

The first few years after baptism were relatively easy. He attended the University of Tehran as a closeted Christian. Most students were more interested in secular philosophy and Western culture to really care anyway, but a couple people that he did tell were supportive or disgusted. When he had to join military service, he had to out himself, and was dismissed by his superior for being untrustworthy for having apostasized from Islam. Problems arose, however, when he considered ordination. His military service had given him a good salary, and his family -who also did not like the idea of the social suicide he would undergo as a pastor- attempted to convince him to remain there. Instead, the local missionaries encouraged him to go to Cambridge University, where he felt a loneliness he had never felt before. He began to resent God for his mother’s death, blame the missionaries for the widening gap between himself and his family, and even consider suicide. This crisis was resolved through forming a relationship with Bishop Stephen Neill, who seems to have taken on a fatherly role to him. Although they only met in person six times, the two would continue to correspond through letters. It is around this time that Hassan developed a strong attachment to the Book of Job, and felt a calling to a deeper sort of repentance, a total reorientation of his life. Though offered a job at Cambridge, he wanted to continue his ministry in his home country.

Returning to Iran

Though he was frequently visited by the Detective Bureau of Police, an frequently dealt with minor harassment, the early years of Hassan’s return were happy ones. In 1949 he was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Church (an organization whose theological leanings Kingdon did not approve of, though she was happy for him). In 1950, he was made a priest, and in 1952 he married the daughter of the current Bishop of Iran (Margaret, pictured above). In 1960, he was consecrated the Bishop of Iran. Hassan’s father died in 1970, and his attempt to attend the funeral only highlighted how large the rift between his family and himself had become. His brother did not want him there, and a group of mullahs refused to let him enter, forcing him to pray for his father outside the mosque. The growth that the Anglican Church in Iran would experience, including the establishment of more hospitals and programs to help make the blind community more self-sufficient, was reversed in the early weeks of the Revolution. Although the land that the hospitals were built on was waaf, a semi-sacred gift under Islamic law, they were seized by Revolutionaries after a senior priest was murdered. His house was ransacked, and threatening messages sent to his house. The anxiety and stress left him bedridden for three weeks. During this time, he decided that taqiyya, pretending to assimilate into the larger religious majority, could not be a strategy for the threatened Christian community: “Christ was almost ruthless about being and showing who you are.” Hassan found inspiration from the life of Saint Thomas Moore, an English Catholic who was killed for refusing to renounce his faith during the Anglican Reformation, and attributed his recovery to a “new infilling of the love of God.” If he were to be killed, then he would be killed; “The important thing is to continue God's work with utmost loyalty to the end.” This was a good attitude to have, because he was soon arrested and interrogated for access to a diocesan bank account. He was forced to stay in a yard where public executions by firing squad happened, he was brought to a revolutionary court, and was the victim of an assassination attempt - an attempt that ended with his wife being shot in the hand after she threw herself in front of him. The two were ultimately sent to Cyprus, with the hope of reuniting with their family. Unforunately, the situation in Iran became too much, and after his son was assassinated (an act that Hassan forgave the killers for), the family was permanently moved to England.

A Persian Christian

The nineteen year exile that lasted from 1979 to his death was very hard on Hassan. The Bishop of Iran was an Iranian who loved his country and his culture. In the early years of his bishopric, he had worked with thinkers like Kenneth Cragg in an attempt to reconcile his Islamic Persian heritage with his Christian faith. In his writings, Dehqani-Tafti wrote for a mixed Christian and Muslim audience. His largest influence in the formation of his faith was a man who did not see Christianity as something at odds with Persian culture. The name of Dehqani-Tafti’s memoir, The Unfolding Design of My World, is a reference to the Naqsh-i-Jahan (Design of the World) Square, a prominent landmark in his beloved Isfahan. His gravestone has a Persian translation of Ephesians 2:19 (“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God”) engraved onto it. His pectoral cross has been returned to Iran, where it is displayed in the Isfahan church he spent so much time in.

‘Culture Is Chinese Traditional Values As The Foundation Including Western Values When Appropriate, Elevated To A Set Of Social Beliefs Which Become The Soft Power Of Hong Kong’—Cultural Pundit Master Darwin Chen

Today we live in a world that is highly fractured, ambiguous and self-centred. Freedom and personal interest are the 2 biggest things that people often abuse.

Architect Ma Yansong said, “Where traditional values are concerned, Chinese people see nature as very symbolic. It is a form of culture.” Nature gave Chinese the imaginations, beauty, peace and most importantly, harmony as our cultural value. Chinese learnt to properly behave and get along with everyone and everything including nature. We did not say everyone is equal. Instead, specific moral duties were prescribed to each of us as oneself, in a family and the society. The duties are virtues such as love, kindness, respect, devotion, allegiance and integrity. Chinese believed that self-restraints were vital and people were capable of attaining these through education and reflection. People with personal mastery would treat themselves and others morally and lead others better. In turn, we all contribute our share to the greater harmony of nature and a good society.

The veteran of arts and culture in Hong Kong Darwin Chen(陳達文博士) who has served government since 1961 emphasized to me, “We must embrace our traditional Chinese values. They help us build up a sense of appropriateness and consummation. They also bring families and members of the community spiritually together and enable people to connect and harmonize. Now, ‘selfish’ is the high pitch in this city. The keyword should however be ‘selfless’.” Old owl like Chen is very wise.

In 1932, Master Chen was born in a Cantonese family which lived well, loved lots and laughed often in Shanghai. World War II destroyed all. He came with the family to Hong Kong in 1946. His education journey was from Diocesan Boys’ School, Northcote College of Education to University of London. His career path was from a reporter, teacher, officer of culture, high level official and presently a scholar.

Regardless of his government positions, master Chen always committed himself to the development of arts and culture in Hong Kong. He served Hong Kong Arts Development Council as Vice Chairman and Chairman from 1996 to 2004. His great honours include the Honorary Fellowship from The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Academy for Performance Arts and University of Hong Kong. In 2003, government awarded Master Chen with the Silver Bauhinia Star. He was given in 2012 the Life Achievement Award for his tremendous devotions to arts and culture.

Master Chen is always serious, gentle and patient. He told me, “Western civilization was inaugurated by the philosophies of the Greeks and Romans, in particular, the development of the concept of democracy which was relevant to the belief of equality and freedom. Rights such as right to life, marriage, sex orientation, welfare, freedom of expression and political opposition are roaringly stressed. Taking these rights to the extreme, a person nowadays may end up being an egotist and his self-interest becomes the motive of all arrogant action and foundation of his morality.” I agreed, “Very often, I heard someone say, ‘Well, it’s not illegal and I can do anything that I want to!’” This is a flagrantly proud attitude. Author Abhijit Naskar once said, “Self-regulation is not caution. It is an act of course-correction. There is no greater contentment than the feeling of victory over your own savagery.”

I added, “The western world has a ‘Harm Principle’ in that interference into one’s liberty can only be permitted only when his act will harm others. Moral ground is excluded.”

Master Chen responded to me, “You can enjoy reading books by authors such as Y N Harari, Francis Fukuyama and Peter Drucker. You can also study the history of the Magna Carta which was a document guaranteeing English political liberties. These days, we all shout for more and more freedoms but seldom exercise the freedom of thought which generates true wisdom. We forget the opposite importance of ‘altruism’. Our culture must balance egoism against the greater need for the selfless concern for the well-being of others.”

Master Chen paused, “We live together in a tiny city of Hong Kong and it is morality which can bind people. We must learn to have kind regard for others. I have spent my life preaching the values of self-reflection and self-restraint and only these good cultures will not blunt the fine edge of love, peace, mutual respect and altruism.”

I asked, “Hong Kong government will soon set up a cultural bureau to promote arts and culture, and we would be a cultural city of the world!” How would you see it?” He replied, “It is definitely a good thing. The Bureau should however not position itself sheerly as a planning and operational organ of cultural activities. Culture should not be treated as only leisure and recreational pursuits. Culture should be promoted as a set of shared spiritual beliefs that people of Hong Kong will be able to define themselves, share, translate them into a society’s good deeds and aspire collectively to contribute to a happier and harmonious Hong Kong.”  

Master Chen thought twice, “The cultural bureau must not let itself to become a technical bureaucracy because in any bureaucracy, there is a self-justifying tendency to let the system become a pretext for not trying new things which may benefit Hong Kong. When I was in charge of the first Hong Kong cultural venue City Hall in the 1960s, I told my colleagues, ‘Be brave! It takes many good initiatives to achieve a good thing. Don’t be afraid of problems when the cause is good. Just do it and this is the only way that you can try it out! As a dedicated servant for the people of Hong Kong, personal gain or loss must be secondary.’ In those days, we lent books to the public and did not worry about them not being returned. We presented Cantonese operas and would not believe that they might degrade the reputation of the place. We made theatre tickets very cheap so that the grassroots could sit side by side with the upper class to enjoy. Remember: culture is about how to be a human and how your life is being humane. No one in Hong Kong should be shallow when culture would nourish our soul.”

I was curious, “Most people here are too westernized. How is our traditional Confucianism still important today?” He smiled, “The teachings of Confucius should be made an important part of Hong Kong education today, for students and the general public. It is our proud Chinese culture. The 3 essentials elements, among other good things, of Confucianism are: filial piety, humaneness and ritual consciousness. Our traditional values can cultivate the ideal personality of a citizen and then this will enhance harmony of the presently torn society. Hong Kong people have lost substantially good ethical, moral and social standards of the past. I do believe the Chinese ways should be re-examined and will form the basis of the future right way of life for Hong Kong people and also as our unique city culture mixing the best of East and West.”  

For the first time since 1842 when Hong Kong was ceded as a colony, we could have a cultural bureau. It may be able to rewrite reality and relinquish the bad name of Hong Kong being a ‘cultural desert’ devoid of spiritual and intellectual attentions. The threat remains—the bureau may stumble on the way if it fails to give vent to the great need for the fostering of a more non-material, harmonious and humane Hong Kong. Both the rich and the poor here have to learn to be more cultured and cultural.

MLee

Chinese Version 中文版:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/wen-hua-yi-shu-68677492?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=postshare

Dr. Darwin Chen’s Interview  https://youtu.be/M-wU3t034-c  Acknowledgement-HKCO

Hong Kong City Hall & Colonial History   https://youtu.be/yAPpRNlnUhM  Acknowledgement – online museum

Speech by Dr. Darwin Chen  https://youtu.be/d8LHxdH0wVU  Acknowledgement-pfdahk

Cantonese Opera鳳閣恩仇未了情  https://youtu.be/eFK2cp5kkZk  Acknowledgement – Hello  Hello

Hong Kong in 1961 https://youtu.be/T73Qyn8XFT0  Acknowledgement-MichaelRogge

《大會堂演奏廳》by Hacken Lee  https://youtu.be/lyhzolB4ue8  Acknowledgement-Hacken Lee

National security law: Hong Kong’s librarians must stand firm to protect intellectual freedom

Librarianship can be said to run in my blood. My mum, born in Seattle, was hired in 1961 to be a school librarian at Diocesan Girls’ School.

I also recall my fortnightly forays across the harbour with mum up the steep slope of Ice House Street, to the welcoming air conditioning of the modern, well-stocked United States Information Service library, where I checked out numerous books, especially mysteries, which intrigued me as a boy.

At 17, I moved to California to attend university, and later graduate school. I was impressed by the depth and breadth of the collections in the library at the University of Michigan, and later switched from international relations to train as a librarian in Michigan's well-regarded library school. Eventually, I served for more than 40 years in public and academic libraries in the US.

I am thus struck that, given the latest removals of Hong Kong library books for review, no one has yet mentioned an important set of principles guiding the professional work of librarians. The 2005 Hong Kong Library Association code of ethics, to which all local library personnel adhere, provides “guidelines for ethical conduct expected of library and information personnel in Hong Kong”.

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biography

Egdar Calabia Samar

 Edgar Calabia Samar, a poet and fictionist. He was born on February 18, 1981 in San Pablo City, Philippines. He attended a diocesan catholic school, the Liceo de San Pablo, from grade school to high school year 1988 to 1998. He finished his AB in Psychology (2002) and MA in Filipino Literature (2004) in the Ateneo de Manila University. There, he became a member of Heights for four years. Edgar Samar received his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, which awarded him the Gawad Antonio Abad for Best Dissertation in 2011. He is also a fellow to the 2010 International Writing Program of the University of Lowa. 

 Edgar Samar is a Philippine Literature professor and teaches creative writing at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is also a visiting professor at Osaka University. He served as President of Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo in 2002 to 2004. Edgar Samar served as panelist to several national writer’s workshop in the Philippines. He also directed the 7th Ateneo National Writers Workshop held in October 2007 at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Quezon City. He is currently residing at Marikina City.

 Edgar Calabia Samar has published 8 books, "Si Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon" a novel, "Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog" was recipient of the 2005 NCCA Writer's Price. "Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog" has an english version entitled "Eight Muses of the Fall" and was longlisted in the 2009 Man Asian Literary Prize, "Halos Isang Buhay: Ang Manananggal sa Pagsusulat ng Nobela", Sa kasunod ng 909", "Pag-aabang sa Kundiman: Isang Talambuhay" which was nominated the National Book Award, "Isa na namang Pagtingala sa Buwan", and "Uuwi na ang Nanay Kong si Adarna!" an award-winning children story that has been adapted into play by Job Pagsibigan and was staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines as part of The Virgin Labdest in July 2008. 

 Edgar's poetry works were "Kuwentong Bayan", "Walang Diwata ng Apoy", "20000", and "Gnosis". His two essays, "Si Big Brother, Si Boy Bastos, at and Pagsasalba ng Katawan sa Texting Popular Ayon Kay Antonio Pigafetta" and "Paghawak sa Panahon: Ang Salaysay Bilang Talinghaga sa Tula. Edgar has also a podcast in Spotify which he titled "Mga Teorya ng Pagkahulog".

 Edgar Calabia Samar received the Palanca Award for his poetry collections and futuristic fiction. He has also been awarded the PBBY-Salanga Writer's Prize, NCCA Writer's Prize for the Novel, the Gantimpalang Collantes sa Sanaysay, and the Gawad Surian sa Tula. 

OH BOY this is gonna be FUN /s

my family is about to enter another hell-zone. my mother spontaneously switched to anti-vaxxer over the course of the last 2 months, flying in the face of the stance we have all held since forever, because she’s been unduly influenced by a stupid “christian” (read “evangelical”) news station, and she is set on dragging the rest of us down with her.

we literally have 2 vulnerable family members in the house, one of which is me. i have persistent lung damage from bronchitis i had contracted before the pandemic, and my sister has a serious birth defect affecting her lungs. we are the exact demographic of people the diocesan exemption was meant for.

i don’t want this to go down the way it did back in high school and early college where every night ends in a shouting fight.

blast it all. i don’t want to side with my father on this, but in this case i have to.