The Catholic Archdiocese of Pretoria is set to host the first 2024 plenary session of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC).

In an interview with Vatican News, SACBC President Bishop Sithemebele Anton Sipuka highlighted the consolation of Catholic institutions in Southern Africa and the Vatican document on blessings of individuals in irregular unions Fiducia supplicans as some of the issues to be discussed during the first plenary session scheduled to take place from January 23-30.

Bishop Sipuka told Vatican News that consolidating Catholic institutions of higher learning would be in the best interest of the SACBC as the conference is “trying to see how different institutions, particularly institutions of learning and training in southern Africa, can be consolidated because so far we have been working independently,” he said.

He added, “There is the shrinking of resources, and we can no longer afford, but even apart from the resources … consolidating is in making the best of the resources.”

In the Sunday, January 7 interview, the Local Ordinary of Mthatha Diocese said the Vatican document on blessings of individuals in irregular unions Fiducia supplicans will also be addressed during the plenary session, as it “came as a surprise,” and only a few members of the SACBC “were consulted” at the time.

“The document Fiducia supplicans really caught us by surprise. I learned about it that morning when I was asked to comment. I had not seen it, so one had to read it quickly in order to offer guidance and response because there was a lot of confusion and panic about it, and the media reading too much into it and causing a lot of confusion,” said Bishop Sipuka.

According to the SACBC President, the first plenary session will also address South Africa’s seventh national election since the end of apartheid in 1994, and it will hold discussions on the implementation of the SACBC Pastoral Plan at the Diocesan level.