The Liaison Bishop for the Justice and Peace Commission of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has called for an end to the ongoing war in the Middle East, echoing the urgent appeals of Pope Leo XIV for an immediate ceasefire and renewed dialogue among nations.

Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa CMM voiced strong support for the repeated appeals of Pope Leo XIV, who, in his Angelus address on 15 March 2026, urged leaders to halt the fighting and reopen paths of dialogue.  

In the Saturday, 28 March 2026 statement, the Chairperson of the SACBC Department for Integral Human Development (former Department for Catholic Social Action) said that people of faith cannot remain silent in the face of immense human suffering caused by the escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

“As people of faith, we cannot remain silent in the face of the immense human suffering unfolding in the war in the Middle East,” Bishop Mbuyisa said in the statement issued by the SACBC Justice and Peace Commission.

He noted that since the start of the war on 28 February 2026, both Iran and Israel have experienced a deepening humanitarian crisis marked by widespread destruction of civilian and strategic infrastructure, with more than a thousand people reported killed and over one million displaced since the outbreak of violence.

A Moral Call in the Face of Human Suffering

In the statement, Bishop Mbuyisa further expressed grave concern about the moral implications of military action undertaken without what the Church traditionally considers a just cause. He stated that the decision to initiate hostilities in the absence of an immediate or objectively verifiable threat raises serious ethical questions within the framework of Catholic social teaching.

Quoting from the encyclical Fratelli Tutti of Pope Francis, he reaffirmed the Church’s consistent teaching on the futility of war: “Every act of violence committed against a human being is a wound in humanity’s flesh; every violent death diminishes us as people… Violence leads to more violence, hatred to more hatred, death to more death.”

Global and Local Consequences

In the Justice and Peace Commission statement, Bishop Mbuyisa also warned that the consequences of the war extend far beyond the Middle East, affecting economies and societies worldwide. In countries such as South Africa, reported rising fuel and food prices linked to the conflict are expected to place additional strain on vulnerable households and deepen economic hardship.

Bishop Mbuyisa condemned attempts by some leaders and media voices to normalize war or present it as an acceptable tool of political or economic power.

“War must never be treated as a video game, a tool of economic leverage, or a theatrical display of power,” he said. “War invariably results in profound human suffering. No ideology or political narrative should obscure the dignity and pain of those enduring the horrors of war.”

As the Church prepares to enter Holy Week, the Local Ordinary of Kokstad Diocese invited the faithful to join in prayer for peace, unity, and reconciliation among nations, drawing inspiration from a prayer composed by Pope Leo XIV for peace in the world.