By Vladimir Redzioch

Remember Dr Carlo Urbani? He was 47-year-old World Health Organization doctor and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for his works with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), www.msf.org, who discovered the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus in January 2003, only to die just three months later from the disease. His widow, Giuliana Chiorrini, speaks to Inside the Vatican about her husband and his work and the honor of being chosen by the Pope to carry the cross in the Via Crucis on Good Friday in Rome last year.

In early 2003, the Vietnamese government asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate a strange virus that was invading their country. The WHO Southeast Asia representative, Italian doctor Carlo Urbani, took on the task and on January 26 headed to Vietnamese hospital to visit an American businessman who was displaying unusual symptoms.

The man was seriously ill, but no one could diagnose his disease. Worried, Dr Urbani sent some blood samples to various laboratories around the world. It was thanks to his alarm that he was able to isolate the virus of an atypical pneumonia (SARS) and embark upon the necessary actions to isolate new cases of the illness.

Unfortunately, the discoverer of the dangerous virus also became its victim: when Dr Urbani flew to Bangkok for a meeting on March 11, he began to display the first symptoms of the illness, and on March 29, 2003, he died in an isolation room at the local hospital. Urbani’s wife, Giulliana, lives with their three children, Tammaso (17), Luca (9), and Maddalena (4) in Castelplanio, not far from Ancona, in the Italian Marche region.

The late Dr Carlo Urbani with his wife, Guiliana, and their three children, Maddalena, Luca and Tommaso

ITV: Your husband chose to work with the sick and poor around the world. Why?

Giuliana Chiorrini: Carlos was always involved in volunteer work and since his youth was attracted by the poor. He cultivated the desire to discover new horizons. To do this he left for Africa with the missionaries. Since his days as a young student with a backpack full of medicines, he had traveled in Africa (Mali, Niger, and Benin). Afterwards he work in solidarity camps run by the Xaverian Fathers, Catholic Action and Open Hands. He was always in contact with missionaries. As a doctor he wrote for the missionary magazine Missioni Consolata. Carlo also fulfilled his desire to help he poor during his 10 years working at the hospital in Macerata. This confirmed him in his work with Medicine Sans Fontieres, of which he was the president, and in this capacity he received the Nobel Peace Prize when it was conferred on the organization in 1999.

ITV: What role did his faith play in his choice of life?

Chiorrini: Faith has extremely important role in my husband’s life. Everything he did enriched the spiritual live of the people who were in contact with him. He was also very sensitive to the beauty of creation- he even used to go hang-gliding to admire nature.

ITV: To serve those in need, your husband agreed to go to Vietnam as the WHO representative for Southeast Asia …

Chiorrini: Going to Vietnam was a difficult move, particularly for me. The children were stimulated by their father’s example and lived this change by an adventure. For 35 years I had always lived in the same country, living the normal life of a mother. I had never thought of leaving my work and my little personal satisfactions tied to this activity. But then I told myself that I would be able to make myself useful in a new way.

ITV: You had already lived for two years in Cambodia from 1996-1997…

Chiorrini: Yes, but this time it was more difficult step to take. I had given birth only two months earlier. It was not easy to move with three children into a completely different environment. But seeing Carlo’s happiness told me it was worth it. The children, after the first impact, reacted well to fitting into the new school. Even I, once I’d got over the first difficulties, began to appreciate the beauty of being there all together. We were very happy.

ITV: What was life like for you in Vietnam?

Chiorrini: In Vietnam, Carlo worked primarily in the field, in villages. I was often left alone with the children in Hanoi. But even then I knew what he was doing. The children always felt him near, perhaps because had the capacity to involve people in his passions. And he also knew how to relate everything in a poetic way and transmit, beyond all its problems, the beauty that exists in the world.

Carlo often went to the villages with a wallet full of money, and came back with nothing. He gave away left, right and center, as he walked through the streets.

At our house we always had two or three local girls. I only needed one to help me, but Carlo would say: If we can it is a way of helping them economically. At a certain point I also realized that I could make myself more useful with small gestures, inviting the other mothers to the house or the children to play. From the Vietnamese I learned how to feel happy through simple attention such as these.

ITV: How did you learn that your husband had discovered a new virus?

Chiorrini: Carlo knew me much too well; He told me that he was working on an illness which worried him a great deal; it kept him terribly busy over his final days, and he was very tired. I remember very well one day when he said that was happening could be a great problem for humanity; many people could die because of this illness which he was comparing to the epidemic of Spanish flu which stuck in Italy in all those years ago. However, he never spoke to me about finding the new virus.

ITV: When your husband became ill, did he recognize the seriousness of it?

Chiorrini: He immediately realized the gravity of the illness; he tried to encourage me, but at the same time he left me under no illusions saying he had seen people die of the same illness over the previous weeks.

ITV: Can you tell us something about how he faced the suffering of his terminal illness? I know it is a sensitive subject but I asked in order to understand what kind of a man your husband was.

Chiorrini: The thought which tormented him most during the long days of his suffering, was fear- and at the same time the awareness - of not being able to see our children again. He wanted a photograph of them near him all the time, and his eyes filled with tears when he looked at it. When he was no longer able to speak he expressed his love for us with particular gestures.

Despite the illness and the agonizing thought that he was most probably on the point of having to leave our family above all, the three children, he still accepted his condition with faith, putting himself in the hands of the Providence and receiving the sacraments of Christian serenity.

ITV: This year, during the Via Crucis at the Colosseum, you and your son carried the cross. How did you react when you heard you had been chosen by the Holy Father, and what significance did it have for your family to participate in this Good Friday liturgy?

Chiorrini: I am a believer, as was my husband, and knowing I was to carry the cross during the Via Crucis touched me a great deal, as well as giving me an enormous joy. It was a very intense moment of the interior spirituality and in all honesty it was also very moving, with the evocative atmosphere which was created that evening.

ITV: The life of every man is a message, a sign. What is the message left to us, through life, by Carlo Urbani?

Chriorrini: I believe that Carlos was not just one message, but many: the importance of believing in yourself; of not giving up but facing all the many difficulties which one may meet in life; the desire to pursue one’s own dreams and realize them; knowing how to gather the correct symptoms and present them; to fight on against the which present themselves; to make your passion your profession; to be most concerned by the good your work is doing (rather than how much you earn); and above all, never to hold back even to the cost of sacrificing your own life.

Salamat sa INSIDE THE VATICAN

An interview with Fr Micheal Riordan

Fr Micheal Riordan grew up loving the farm life. He became a veterinarian and worked in Korea for some time. In this interview we will find out how his profession led him to become a priest.

Q: Please tell us a little bit about your background

Fr Riordan: I was born in Ballymun Avenue, Dublin, Ireland in 1954. My parents are both from County Carlow. I remember that the possibility of being a priest entered my mind a few times when I was growing up but I decided it wasn’t for me. I was afraid of making a mistake, and I probably thought that if you went then you couldn’t come out.

Q: So you become a veterinary surgeon .Wasn’t that unusual decision for a city boy?

Fr Riordan: My father was a pharmacist and I had an interest in medical things but the idea of being a doctor didn’t attract me. I used to spend a good bit of my vacations in the country, around Carlow and Kells. I worked on a stud farm in Carlow and I remember one day a veterinarian saying that a particular case was the worst one he had in 40 years. I thought, ‘If I that’s the worst, I can handle it’. I liked the pace of life on the farm where the people had time to talk and yet got their work done. I went to University College Dublin and qualified as a veterinarian in 1977.

Q: And you then made another unusual decision- to get to Korea!

Fr Riordan: I had already decided I would work as a volunteer for two years. I decided to get as much work experience as I could beforehand. So I took jobs as a substitute. Pat Rhatigan, who spent some years as a Coumban student, was at that time Dean of the Veterinary Faculty and he told me about a Columban farming project on Cheju Island, Korea. Neither my family nor friends were too keen on the idea of my going away. Some people said, ‘Why not work and just send the money?’ I was happy with my decision but it was only when I got on the plane that the full reality of what I was doing sank home

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Q: When you arrived in Korea to the Columban farming project in Cheju, was it clear to you how you could make a contribution?

Fr Riordan: My contribution turned out to be a bit different to the one I had expected.  A number of veterinary surgeons had volunteered and worked there before me at the invitation of Fr P.J. McGinchey. They had done the major task- the disease prevention and eradication programs. I just had to maintain that. The farm had about 2,000 beef cattle, 1,000 sheep, and 15,000 pigs. A lot of the cattle had been imported to improve the quality of beef on the island.
I think my contribution in Korea was more in the area of relationships with people rather than through my veterinary work. I made friends that I still have to this day. I finished there in 1979. It wasn’t an easy time but it was life- giving.

Q:  What were you thinking about with regard to the future as you left Korea?

Fr Riordan: I had thought a lot about that. There were different options. Go home, get back to work and get married was one of them. I had a girlfriend in Ireland. But I was also giving thought again of becoming a priest and being a missionary. I found I got new life from contact with another culture. While in Korea I used to attend Mass every Sunday and would often go on weekdays. I didn’t understand Korean very well  so I borrowed an English Missal and used to read the Gospel as it was being read in Korean and think about it during the sermon . I began to come alive. I visited the Philippines and was impressed by what the Columbans were doing there. I gave them a hard time questioning particularly their social involvement. They thought I was challenging them but really I was challenging myself.
I didn’t make the final decision about priesthood until I came home. I then felt it was what I was called to. At first U only told my parents and my brothers. Later my decision caused a bit of surprise to my friends.

Q:  You were ordained s priest in 1986 and since then have worked in Korea. Do you still feel at peace with the decision you made?

Fr Riordan: I don’t regret the decision. Of course there are ups and downs, times when I feel lonely or feel life difficult. But there are times of great hope too and overall the experience is a very positive one.

Q: Are there any experiences of God being ‘in the bits and pieces of every day’ that come to mind?

Fr Riordan: In Cheju there was a Scottish volunteer who used to work in the pig section. He often invited me to go with him to prayer meetings. When he talked of speaking in tongues I told him that the only gift O wanted was to be able to speak Korean to the people around me. At the same time I was often amazed by the fact that one could communicate even with poor language. I remember having to visit two friends who had been detained. I got instructions on how to get to the police station. I arrived at an official looking building where there were people in uniform. In my very poor Korean I asked to see the two people. An uncomfortable looking official told me to wait. As I waited I felt for all the unfortunate relatives there making phone calls – until I realized that I was in the post office! The police station was next door.
I didn’t know what I was going to say to my friend but I wanted to forgotten. The police were getting great mileage out of this inarticulate foreigner. The imported cigarettes I had with me helped a bit. The two friends were brought in. One of the few things my limited language allowed me to do, rather inappropriately, was to ask them if the food was tasty? Soon after this the food was unexpectedly brought in, the first they had seen for nearly two days. Getting the courage to visit them on various occasions in spite of my fears was an experience of the Spirit of God. Later, as a seminarian, I became aware of how so often society, to hide its own injustice and exclusion, uses this system. Often, as I watched prisoners in their rough garb lining up for food I felt that even the toughest of them were sometimes crying out for help. So many people have never visited a prison and so don’t realize what it is like. It was probably only when I returned from Korea as a missionary that I realized that things like discrimination, class distinction and racism which I observed there were also part of my own culture.

Q: Now that there is a strong Church in Korea with its own personnel how do you see your own role?

Fr Riodan: It seems to me that Korea is where God wants me to be. My present job is student formation and vocations promotion. This is one of the Columban priorities. We want to help the Korean Church to be more missionary and to share their faith with other churches. Some have questioned the wisdom of the Columbans developing vocations programs in the countries in we work. My own attitude is if I am happy with the life I have chosen why not offer the possibility to others. We also try to promote understanding between the great religions and to promote a concern for the world. The Church is very important instrument in the promotion of that dream or vision. Sometimes when I am complaining about one aspect or other of the Church I have to remind myself that but for its continuity throughout the centuries there would be very little faith to pass on today.
The promotion of missionary work is an important dimension of being a Christian. It enriches both the sender and the receiver. Looking at history I am aware of mistakes but also of great achievements.

Q: In a sense, could be described as a second phase of mission?

Fr Riordan: I see myself as helping to make the Korean Church more missionary, helping it to be more aware of other peoples and emphasizing that globalization that is taking place is about more than just economic opportunities. I am happy to play a part in that effort.

My Angel of Humility

By Gregorio Pelaez III

The moment I began to change emotionally and mentally I knew that the point of my life I’d been waiting for so long had finally arrived.  My expectation that being a teenager would be the greatest part of living turned out to be wrong.

I admit I was a stubborn child, never thinking about anyone except myself.  I was so self-centered that I wanted the best in life for myself alone. I was like a ferocious beast, ready to devour anyone who came my way. That’s why I had only a few friends.

I felt glorious about my attitude, not knowing it was the start of being an egotistic person, and not realizing that I was already profaning my soul, creating my ladder to hell. I was such an insecure person then.

I knew nothing about humility and hadn’t changed me a bit until a man named Robert came into my life.  He was the man I believe God sent to save me.  Like me, he also had experienced the worst in life, but God converted him and blessed him with extraordinary gifts and gave him a mission to give light and hope to desperate souls.

I joined the charismatic renewal and when I heard the words of God through Brother Robert, my whole life changed.  Because of his fervent guidance and encouragement, I was able to bring out my good side.  I learned to get rid of my evil deeds and be acquainted with the concept of humility.  I then discovered the joy of living according to God’s will.

The process of my conversion was very slow, but through the help of Brother Robert my faith grew on a strong foundation and I experienced a wholesome spiritual transformation. Brother Robert touched my life deeply, something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I want to continue doing the same for others, especially the poor and the abandoned. Through Brother Robert I’ve learned the greatest philosophy of life, to be humble, to be kind, and to be the man that God wants me to be.

After the worst moments I’ve been through I finally have the strength to resist evil though not totally, because of my frailty. But I still believe that as I try God will give me the grace I need.

I know God loves me because He has given me a chance to change my life.  Through the angel of humility He sent me, He opened my eyes so I might see the reality that the pure joy of living cannot be felt without the passion of humility.

By Father Abraham Aquino CICM

Street children are found all over the world. Most people are quick to conclude that poverty is the root cause. But if you look more deeply into the problem, you’ll find that parents are often blamed. Father Abraham, a missionary in Zambia, tells us why.

I visited the parents of a street child whom we had taken home a few months before. In the beginning, everything was going well. He was going to school. But after a while he went back on the streets. On a few occasions I tried to convince him to go home, but he refused. So I decided to find out from his mother what had happened. She told me that the child was stubborn and preferred to stay on the streets. I asked her what her plan was for him. She said, ‘Bring him to the police to be beaten so that he will learn his lesson.’ Her statement hit me like a bomb. I got angry. Is this the best a mother can think of for her child? I said ‘Goodbye’ and told her sarcastically that I’d do exactly what she had suggested.

A burden, not a responsibility

This wasn’t the first time I’d encountered such uncaring parents. In another home, a man introduced himself as the ‘uncle’ of a street kid. When we confronted him we found out that he was the father but was afraid we would report him to the police for allowing his child to be on the streets. He had eight children by his wife and four others by two other women. So he thought of letting one of the older children to go on the streets as ‘a way of lightening my burden.’ Poor child! She had to suffer because of her father’s irresponsibility.

Poor but never abandoned

There is a lot of poverty around us. But I would never accept poverty as a legitimate reason for parents for not fulfilling their parental obligations. Back in the Philippines, my family also lived in poverty. I remember my father fishing in the river despite heavy rain. And the whole family had to go to the rice field during harvest season. These were difficult times but my parents would make sure there was food on our table.

I’m hurt to see children roaming around the streets, filthy and famished. If only parents truly understood their obligations, these children would have the future that is rightfully theirs.

Salamat sa Nova Et Vetera

By Fr Jaime M Baclayo SVD

I’ve been in Colombia since 1992 and people still ask me why I answered the call to be a missionary, considering its difficulties and challenges. Basically, I would say it’s a constant discovery of the living God who continually calls many people to commit themselves to the unfinished missionary work of Christ. It’s a process in which one may discover the loving God by being in relationship with him day to day during one’s formation and while on mission. During my formative years I discovered that Jesus loves me very much. Through that experience I’ve developed gradually in my faith, enough for me to commit myself totally to his Cause in a very concrete way. That is by being a member of the Divine Word Missionaries.

Many say that mission work exposes one to the best and the worst in people. I believe that mission work is not difficult. A missionary should start with a reflective listening faith and culture. Through constant listening he may generate illuminated ideas, enough for him to act and organize methods of evangelization and pastoral work. The experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus gives us a good method of evangelization: REFLECTION, ACTION, REFLECTION. On their way back from Emmaus they reflected on the Scriptures and on the person of Jesus. It was difficult for them to understand the way it happened but somehow, something had made them act generously to the stranger to whom they offered hospitality. And during the breaking of the bread they recognized the Risen Lord. The story didn’t stop there. Full of enthusiasm, they went back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what they had seen.

Listening to the faith and culture of the people in the mission is an act of deep reflection. By that reflection one may enter into the action – mission. And doing mission doesn’t end in action but is a continuous reflection.

During my years here in Colombia I’ve never experienced the worst in people. On the contrary, they have been my great companions in the way of following Jesus and in the way to perfection in life.

Finally, I can say that there’s a real beauty and joy in sharing one’s faith experience with people of a different culture. I’ve tried to do this first in my own SVD community of 13 nationalities living and sharing together in mission. In sharing, I’m constantly learning and growing as a person consecrated and committed to mission in Christ.

1. Do I understand correctly that bahala na is trust?

‘Bahala na’ can mean trust in the Lord when we recognize our own limitations and helplessness. But it can also be a refusal to take responsibility for our own actions and their consequences.

2. I always hear from people that they are very happy and at peace because they have a very special relationship with the Lord. They claimed that they are even happier than before BUT they don’t go to Mass every Sunday. They only go there if they have time. Is it really possible to have a fulfilling relationship with the Lord without attending Masses? Because I feel that the Mass is a very integral part of your relationship with Him. But these people seemed more fulfilled and happier than anyone I know who religiously attend Mass.

Antoine de St Exupery, author of ‘The Little Prince’ wrote, ‘The only rally important time in our lives is the time we waste with those we love’. Can those with a ‘special relationship with the Lord’ but aren’t prepared to ‘waste time’ on Sundays with the Lord and the Lord’s brothers and sisters their own brothers and sisters claim to love the Lord’s brother and sisters?

3. It was stated in the Bible that to worship idols and images is a sin, so why did our church allow people to visit and kiss the statue of Jesus Christ who is crucified every lent.

Many thanks for your two recent emails. It’s particularly nice to hear from someone who, like myself, is ‘Irish’! Dose the presence of Irish Columban priests and Irish Presentation Sisters in Binalbagan have anything to do with your name? I was asking Anne, our secretary what the ‘DP’ in ‘BSC-DP’ means. She didn’t know. We won’t able to sleep until you tell us!

I’m delighted to know that you’ve been reading MISYON for so long and that you find it interesting and helpful.

About your question. When I came to the Philippines in 1971 I discovered that the quickest way to find out how many children lived in a barrio was to take out my camera. They were all there in ten seconds flat! In my room here in Bacolod I have photos of my deceased parents, of my brother and his family, with me in it, and of a dear friend who died when she was only 29. I also have an ikon of Jesus given me by a Filipino Trappist monk in the USA many years ago and a statue of our Blessed Mother carved by a man who lives in the mountains of Negros. He makes beautiful statues from wood using very primitive tools.

These pictures and the statue remind me of those I love. When I look at the photos of my parents-one I took myself- I think of them with love. When I look at the statue of the Blessed Mother I’m reminded that I HAVE a Blessed Mother. All her other children are my brothers and sisters, including you, Salmae, even though I don’t know you. (I used to celebrate Mass often in Binalbagan from 1997 to 2000 when I was living in the Columban house in Batang, Himamaylan. I was vocation director then. Maybe you know me to see.)

When Filipinos touch statues they’re not worshipping the statues, they’re expressing in a tangible way their love for Jesus, for our Blessed Mother, for the saints. Philippines culture is one where people touch one another a lot compared to some other cultures where people are more reserved, though just as loving. So it’s a normal human thing to touch something that reminds us of God’s love, to look at a photo of someone we love, whether that person is living or dead. Sometimes we may even kiss the photo of someone who is absent through death or distance. We know we’re not kissing the person but our action symbolizes our love.

In the May-June issue there’s a question about worshipping saints. It’s similar in some ways to your question, though not specifically about images.

The Church has always encouraged the human expression of our love for God. That’s why we have the Veneration of the Cross included in the Good Friday liturgy, when we’re invited to kiss the image of Jesus crucified. We have something similar at Christmas when we kiss the image of the baby Jesus. The crucifix and the image of the baby Jesus are not idols. They’re just reminders of the fact that God became Man, was born like each one of us and died an awful death out of love for us.

I hope that this answers your question. Don’t forget to answer mine-what does ‘DP’ mean?!

4. On Palm Sunday people bring palms and coconut leaves, with various designs, to have them blessed. After the Mass, they bring them home and put some of them on theirs doors. They believe that these leaves which have been blessed will drive evil spirits away. Is their belief correct?

The palms are to remind us of the entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem, warmly welcomed by the people who turned on him less than a week later. The ashes we use on Ash Wednesday are the burned palms of the previous Palm Sunday. I wasn't aware of the belief you mention but that is not the purpose of the palms. putting the palms on our door should be a sign of our faith in Jesus the Risen lord, God who became man, not an expression of fear of evil spirits.

5. Why is it that we use our right hand when we make the sign of the Cross?

The only reason I can think of is that most people are right-handed. Unfortunately, some teachers used to force left-handed children to use their right for writing. The word 'sinister' is the Latin for 'left hand'. Very negative superstitious grew over the centuries about the use of the left hand.

6. Friends say that I am a very generous person because every time a needy person comes to me, I always help them. They also tell me that some of the people I help talk behind my back. Despite this I still help them. Am I on the right track?

You are what we call in Ireland 'a soft touch'. It's not always helpful to give money to people, especially if you have evidence that they are using it irresponsibly and taking advantage of you. I have experienced this far too often.

The First Sunday of Lent, 29 February, is National Migrants’ Sunday. In a pastoral letter for that same day last year, Bishop Vicente M. Navarra of Bacolod wrote that according to surveys there are 7.41 million Filipinos in 193 countries overseas. Nine million Filipino children have at least one parent working abroad.

Pope John Paul, on December 2002, celebrated Mass with some of the 23,000 Filipinos in Rome. ‘The fact that you are immigrants makes you more lovable in the eyes of Jesus,’ the Pope said in his homily, in which he focused on the difficulties of immigration. ‘With great affection I greet you and, through you, the many thousands of Filipino men and women living in Rome and in other cities throughout Italy. The Church’s concern for the Filipino faithful can also be seen in thirty-nine pastoral centers located throughout the city where you can foster your own noble Christian traditions and give them new life, thanks to the liturgical and apostolic services offered there.

‘Hold fast to the rich cultural and religious heritage that is an integral part of your identity,’ he continued. ‘Many of you have had the chance to find employment here in Italy and have attained a standard of living that enables you to help your family members at home. For others, however- and I hope that they are few- your status as immigrants has brought you serious problems, including loneliness, the separation of families, the loss of the values handed down from the past and at times even the loss of your faith.

‘I would like to renew to all of you, and in particular to the many women present here, the words of encouragement which we heard in today’s Liturgy: Do not lose heart! We must not grow weak in faith, for the Lord is near…the witness of an authentically Christian life will keep you unite among yourselves and will continue to win you the respect and help other. I ask those who employ you to welcome you and love you as cherished brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us must work together to built the civilization of love.