In a report shared with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) communications office, the Auxiliary Bishop of Pretoria Archdiocese underscores the role of Military Ordinariates in “safeguarding and guaranteeing human rights.”
Bishop Masilo John Selemela’s report follows his attendance at the annual International Conference of Military Bishops held in Vienna, Austria under the theme “The role of Military ordinariates in the protection of human rights.”
The three-day conference aimed at promoting the exchange and dialogue of military pastoral care, saw the participation of “Military Ordinariates of Austria, Brazil, Canada, England, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Italy, Peru, USA, and South Africa,” says the Auxiliary Bishop of Pretoria Archdiocese who attended the conference on behalf of South Africa’s Military Ordinary Archbishop Dabula Mpako.
In the report, Bishop Selemela says that although it is “evident that there is legislation in most countries regarding promoting and safeguarding the rights of human persons… there is a growing concern that in some instances, legislation is framed in such a way as to give the impression that the state gives such rights.”
“There is a danger that when governments give rights, they can take them away at any given time,” warns Bishop Selemela, adding “We often hear of violations because of this interpretation. The Conference on this issue resolved that the role of the Church in these military Ordinariates was to emphasise God as the source of these rights.”
He goes on to say that “to support the military personnel, the soldiers in this case, there is a greater need to help them prevent violence and resist the temptation to take instruction without understanding human rights.”
“The emphasis here is on safeguarding and guaranteeing human rights rather than them being violators,” he affirms.
Bishop Selemela further says that it became apparent in the Conference “that soldiers work in situations where they must deal with migrants and refugees. It is important that they develop systems to assist and deal with migrants and refugees who are fleeing their countries because of war and sometimes famine.”
He lauded the “Military Ordinariate of Brazil where the army participates in the integration of migrants and refugees into Brazilian society.”
Bishop Selemela said the army through the assistance of the Church “assists in documenting and facilitating integration with civil society,” of thousands of migrants and refugees from Venezuela.
The Auxiliary Bishop of Pretoria Archdiocese bemoaned the sporadic violation of human rights in South Africa. “In our country, while we have civil bodies like the Commission for Human Rights in South Africa there is a need to do more. One cannot but remember the recent experiences of Looting, Xenophobic attacks, and the endemic levels of gender-based violence in our country. All these speak of a society that is inclined to a culture of violence, a culture of death,” he laments.
He adds, “The level of violence and violation of human rights has become a major problem in society. The dictatorship of some rights over others is also a growing concern.”
In his concluding remarks, Bishop Selemela says that “Rights are also exercised with the required responsibility. Without responsibility, human rights can turn to be meaningless and dangerous.”
