Letters

Simon of Cyrene

Andrew Sholl

Contents - May 2011 - Buy a copy now Benedict XVI: The true meaning of mature faith - Pope Benedict XVI Two million in Rome for beatification of John Paul II - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World Modern martytrs: Shahbaz Bhatti (1968-2011): Pakistan's contemporary martyr - Babette Francis Culture: The decline of the Christian West - Cardinal Raymond Burke Oppression: Christians under fire worldwide - Cardinal Sean Brady The Anglican Ordinariate: what impact on Catholic worship? - Shawn Tribe Interview: International Conference on Eucharistic Adoration in Rome - Father Florian Racine University Life: Australian Catholic Students' Conference 2011 a success - Br Barry Coldrey Liturgy: Welcome to the new translation of the Missal - Audrey English Literature: The 'impossible dream' of Don Quixote - Part 2 (Matthew 6:19) - Andrew Kania Letters: Climate alarmism - Peter Donald Letters: 'Spirit of Vatican II' - Fr. M. Durham Letters: Simon of Cyrene - Andrew Sholl Letters: A mixture - Arnold Jago Letters: William Wardell - Cambria M. Parkinson Poetry: One Cross - Bruce Dawe Books: CHRISTIANITY IN IRAQ, by Suha Rassam - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: SIMON, CALLED PETER, by Dom Mauro-Guissepe Lepori, O.Cist. - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: ELIZABETH HAYES: Pioneer Franciscan Journalist, by Pauline J. Shaw - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: DAUGHTER OF MAN, MOTHER OF GOD, by Barry M. Coldrey - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The Resurrection: ultimate meaning of our existence - Fr Dennis Byrnes

The current civil war in Libya brings to mind an important, indeed vital fact of our Faith, especially during the Easter season.

Simon of Cyrene (a town in north-eastern Libya) was made to carry the Cross of Jesus by the Romans (Matthew 27:32). In fact Cyrene, now called in Arabic Shahhat, was such an important town at the time of Jesus that the whole eastern half of Libya was and is still called Cyrenaica. Tripolitania is the western half of the nation, with its chief city of Tripoli which is now the "united" nation's capital.

What to us Christians is significant is that Simon only helped Jesus to carry the Cross: Simon did not die on that Cross, as was claimed by Gnostics in their controversy with Catholics in the early Church.

It is therefore not surprising that Muhammad appears to have adopted the Gnostics' idea in the seventh century AD, since Muslims are explicitly taught in the Koran that Jesus did not die on the cross, but another man stood in as a substitute.

However, Saint Paul tells us that if Jesus had not been crucified and died for us, and then was raised on the third day, we would still be in our sin and our Faith would be worthless.

ANDREW SHOLL
Townsville, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 24 No 4 (May 2011), p. 15