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Archbishop Dabula Anthony Mpako recalls the late Bishop of Francistown Diocese as “a person of a deep spirituality,” and of prayer. “We are consoled by the knowledge that Bishop Anthony was a person of a deep spirituality. He was a man of prayer. He loved the Blessed...

In his homily during the Vigil Mass for the Funeral of Bishop Anthony Paschal Rebello SVD, the president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) said the late Bishop was an “unassuming, humble man of God” just like the Apostle Matthias who was...

The President of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) says the 50th anniversary of the regional body is “a testimony of Collegiality emphasized by the Second Vatican Council, which affirms that Collegial union also appears in the...

The Vicar General of the Diocese of Francistown announced on Tuesday that the funeral Mass of Bishop Anthony Pascal Rebello SVD will be celebrated in Francistown Old Stadium on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Bishop Rebello SVD will be buried within the premises of Our Lady...

The members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) extend “heartfelt condolences to the Diocese of Francistown, the Society of Divine Word, and the biological family” following the sudden passing of Bishop Anthony Pascal Rebello SVD. “The news of...

In a Monday, April 29 statement, members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) lament the tragic death of another Catholic priest in South Africa. In the statement signed by SACBC President, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, the Bishops express...

The Catholic youth in the Eastern Cape have called for a more “welcoming and inclusive” church says the Local Ordinary of Aliwal Diocese following the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Pastoral Conference of the Xhosa Region biannual plenary...

Fr Richard Menatsi was a “man of excellence and hard work” who throughout his service to the Catholic Church in Southern Africa “disproved the racist prejudice that anything a black person touches collapses,” said the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops...

During Chrism Mass in the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Johannesburg, the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Apostolic Nunciature in South Africa reminds priests that they are called by God to do his work and to spend more time in prayer. “We are here to remind ourselves of...

‘Community Serving Humanity’ was the theme chosen for the centenary anniversary of Kokstad Diocese Cathedral. Thousands of faithful dressed in green joined the parade on Sunday, March 17, the Solemnity of St Patrick to celebrate the one hundred years of ‘community...

The annual pilgrimages to Tshitanini in Tzaneen Diocese are meant to “promote devotion” to South African Martyr Blessed Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa, says the promoter for the cause of sainthood. In a conversation with the Southern African Catholic Bishops...

Bishop Siphiwo Paul Vanqa has encouraged young people to return to the Lord as “our God is the God of second chances.” In his address to hundreds of youths and young adults from Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa gathered in Tshitanini, Tazeen Diocese for the second...

The Bishop of Tzaneen Diocese says the theme for the Feast Day of Blessed Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa is ‘Blessed Daswa the Farmer.’ The theme “of the feast day this year is Blessed Daswa the farmer. We know that he was a teacher, he was a principal of a...

In his address to members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC), the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Apostolic Nunciature in South Africa expressed gratitude for the “support shown to the Apostolic Nunciature.” “First of all, I would like to thank...

In his homily at the Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit held at St John Vianney Seminary, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bloemfontein called on members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) to invoke the Holy Spirit to guide them as they begin the...

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...

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Bloemfontein Archdiocese has called on the members of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SCJ) to “look to the future with hope.” In his homily during Mass held at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Aliwal Diocese to mark the SCJ...

The Synod Secretariat has written a letter to bishops across the world explaining the next stages of the synodal process ahead of next year's second and final session of the Synod of Bishops on synodality. In the December 12 news release shared with the Southern...

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Synod Delegates are expected to present an “elaborative report” during the annual January Plenary Session of the Catholic Bishops of Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa. According to the SACBC spokesperson...

The ‘fundraising bazaar’ towards the formation of seminarians from Kokstad Diocese was a “wonderful and beautiful" experience for the Diocese, says the Local Ordinary. In a communiqué shared with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) communications...

Pope Francis reminds the Synodal Assembly that the Holy Spirit is the gathering's protagonist, and offers his heartfelt thanks to all, as he addressed the closing session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality, which concludes with the Holy...

In a communiqué shared with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) communications office, Cardinal Stephen Brislin calls on all parishes in Cape Town Archdiocese to pray for peace in the Holy Land. “I ask all our parishes to hold in prayer the very...

The Synod on Synodality is a “Kairos moment” for all the baptized, says the Local Ordinary of Kokstad Diocese. In an interview with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) communications office prior to his departure to Rome, Bishop Thulani Mbuyisa...

Some 110 newly ordained bishops from Africa and Madagascar, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania met in Rome for the training course for new bishops under the theme “Living the Episcopal Mission in a Synodal Church.” During the September 4-13 seminar organised by the...

Addressing participants at the end of a communications seminar held at Lumko retreat and conference centre in Benoni, South Africa, Bishop José Luis Gerardo Ponce de León said “Communications is at the heart” of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern...

The Local Ordinary of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban in KwaZulu Natal has offered the Church’s condolences on the death of the founder and President Emeritus of Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). In the message of condolences addressed to the “Buthelezi family, the...

Catholic tertiary students met in Thailand for the 2023 International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) World Assembly. Among those present were delegates from South Africa led by the Youth Chaplain of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Fr....

The Catholic Bishops of South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini have in a collective statement expressed “deepest condolences” to the victims of the Thursday, August 31 tragic fire that claimed the lives of at least 74 people. “Our hearts go out to those who lost their...

In a pastoral letter addressed to the people of God in South Africa, the Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa (SACBC) call on citizens to “reawaken and reclaim the dream,” amid the “spiritual and moral crisis” in the country almost 30 years post-democracy. “We humbly...

Catholic communications officers from Southern Africa have been called to share stories and “experiences of the risen Lord in Southern Africa.” Addressing participants during the opening mass of a communications workshop underway at Lumko Retreat and Conference Centre...

Cape Town Archbishop Calls for a weekend of prayer for persecuted Christians Considering growing Christian persecution worldwide, the Archbishop of Cape Town has asked for intercessory prayers for those who are persecuted for their faith. In a communiqué shared with...

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) says it has found the media release of the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB) on its investigation into the Phala Phala matter “confusing and inspiring more questions than answers, as several points remained unclear at its...

The members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) say it is contemplating writing a “Kairos document” amid calamity in South Africa. During the SACBC second plenary held at Mariannhill retreat centre from August 14-18, the Catholic Bishops of...

The President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) says the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is “a historic and special synod in many ways.” Addressing African delegates at the SECAM Synod preparatory meeting...

The Archbishop of Cape Town has condemned the “violence associated with the taxi strike,” which “caused untold hardship and destabilisation for many communities across the city and its environs.” In the statement shared with the Southern African Catholic Bishops...

The Denis Hurley Peace Institute of South Africa (DHPI), in cooperation with the Technical University of Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS), and other Catholic and civil society organisations is holding an international symposium in Nacala diocese, Nampula province, north of...

The President of Caritas South Africa has called for the establishment of Caritas “Diocesan Chaplains” to assist coordinators and the local priests in their respective dioceses. In his address during an online event to mark the fifth anniversary of Caritas South...

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...

As pilgrims from the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) head to Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day (WYD), the Archbishop of Johannesburg has called on young people to see the youth pilgrimage as an opportunity to strengthen their “faith.” Speaking...

The Chaplain to the Deaf Community of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has welcomed the recognition of South African Sign Language (SASL) as the 12th official language as it “has been hoped for and anticipated for a long time.” The recognition...

The Liaison Bishop for the Dennis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI) has called on social action commissions of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) to “journey together” in assisting the social works of the Catholic church in the region. In an...

The participation of men in the life of the Church and family - “journeying together’ were among the main topics of discussion during the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference’s (SACBC) first meeting for men held at Lumko Retreat Centre in Benoni. In an...

In a media statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulates Cardinal-elect Stephen Brislin of Cape Town Archdiocese for his nomination. “Archbishop Brislin’s elevation is an exceptional personal honour and...

Pope Francis at the end of his Sunday Angelus address, announced the creation of 21 new cardinals. “I am happy to announce that on 30 September I will hold a Consistory for the appointment of new Cardinals,” said Pope Francis towards the end of the Sunday Angelus on...

In his reflection on the recently concluded Ad Limina Visit, the Local Ordinary of Mthatha Diocese highlights the strengthening of the “self-sustenance” drives for the Catholic Church in the Southern region. Members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference...

At the Annual Archdiocesan Meeting of Families (AMOF), the Local Ordinary of Johannesburg Archdiocese reflected on good marriage preparation to prevent “an increase of invalid or inconsistent marriage celebrations.” “We should raise the level of awareness of the need...

Members of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) have called on South Africans to "take ownership of the fight against corruption.” In the statement to mark the first anniversary of the Zondo Commission Report, the SACC members who include representatives of...

“It feels great. I'm very, very content. I'm very happy,” says Monsignor (Mons) Barney McAleer as he prepares to go back to his home country Ireland after 59 years of service to the people of God in South Africa. Religious and colleagues gathered at the Southern...

The President of Caritas Pretoria has called for the establishment of Caritas offices at every parish within the Archdiocese. “Every Priest must make sure that there is a Caritas office in his parish, it is not an optional extra, it is an integral part of what we are...

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Office for Migrants and Refugees held a recollection day for the staff and volunteers of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to reflect on pastoral care for migrants and refugees in South Africa and to strengthen...

The First Vice President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has called on the Bishops of Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa to “keep the shining example of Mary ever in mind and to respond to God’s call as she did.” In his homily at the...

The centrality of the Archbasilica Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome “gives a focus that all Churches lead to Rome,”, the Archbishop of Gabarone Diocese, Botswana has said. Addressing fellow Bishops during a mass celebrated at St John Lateran Basilica, Archbishop Frank...

In his reflection during mass at the start of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Ad Limina visit, the Second Vice President of the SACBC focused on “the Sermon on the Mount” from the day’s Gospel reading Matthew 5:1-12. “Today we read about the...

The moral authority of Bishops and priests derives from one’s ordination, the Archbishop of Johannesburg Metropolitan Archdiocese has said. In his homily at a mass celebrated at the Papal Basilica St. Paul Outside the Walls, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale reflected on “the...

The President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has called on his brother Bishops and Clergy to be holistic in the “task of shepherding.” In his Tuesday, June 13 homily at the votive mass of St Peter, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka reflected on St...

The renewal programs offered to Diocesan and Religious Priests by the Clergy Department of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) are meant to help Priests integrate and it’s an opportunity for growth, the Southern African Council of Priests (SACOP)...

The planned Ad Limina Visit of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) is a “symbolic expression of the unity of bishops with the Pope,” the President of the SACBC has said. In a message shared with the SACBC communications office, Bishop Sithembele...

By Johannesburg AdNews The Archdiocese of Johannesburg has for the past 6 years hosted the annual Uganda Martyrs celebration. Dubbed ‘Namugongo in Johannesburg’ in reference to the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine where a big celebration is always held on the feast of the...

The newly ordained Bishop of Ingwavuma Vicariate has been urged to be a “Shepherd who unites his flock” to build unity in the Church. “One of the duties of the bishop is to build unity in his church.  That means that Father Mazibuko, the Lord has sent you to be a...

In his reflection during the solemn vespers on the eve of the Episcopal consecration of the Right Reverend Vusumuzi Francis Mazibuko as Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Ingwavuma, the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Apostolic Nunciature in South Africa underscored...

The Liaison Bishop for Migrants and Refugees Office of the South African Catholic Bishop Conference (SACBC), has called on the people of God to follow in the footsteps of the Patron Saint of Migrants Giovanni Battista Scalabrini in welcoming, integrating, protecting,...

In his message on the occasion of Pentecost, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has called on the people of God to work towards the establishment of “a new world where peace, justice, and brotherhood between...

The newly ordained Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban has said that one of his priorities will be to ensure that all “Church structures” are fully established and functioning. In a brief interview with the Southern African Catholic Bishops...

The Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pretoria has called on Catholic women to “mentor and animate the girl child.” Addressing Catholic women gathered at the Catholic Church of the Beatitudes in Zwavelpoort, Pretoria, Bishop Masilo John Selemela...

The newly consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban has been urged to foster “unity, to bring the clergy, religious and the laity together without any prejudice.” In his homily during the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Elias Kwenzakufani...

“Be steadfast in your love for God and His people,” said the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Apostolic Nunciature in South Africa. In his reflection during the solemn vespers on the eve of the Episcopal ordination of Right Reverend Elias Kwensakufani Zondi as the...

The director of the Justice and Peace Commission has called on the people of God to be at the forefront of fighting for the social inclusion of waste pickers in South Africa. In a statement to mark Laudato Si Week, the director of the Associate body of the Southern...

On 31 May 2023, the People of God are called to hold a moment of prayer for the Synod Assembly of Bishops, which is set to coincide with the memorial of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the conclusion of the Marian month. The prayer is an awareness...

The Fazenda da Esperança (Farm of Hope) has recently inaugurated two community centres in South Africa’s Western Cape and North West provinces to assist people from any religion or belief to recover from destructive behaviors such as alcoholism and drug addiction....

St Augustine College of South Africa will run a short course about the meaning of ‘Political Theology.’ The short course will look at the concept of political theology, and how it is a guiding force behind liberation and contextual theologies, especially Black...

The Archdiocese of Johannesburg campaign committee of the cause of beatification of the founders of Little Eden Society visited St Patrick Catholic Church in La Rochelle to pray and to promote Domitilla and Danny Hyams journey to holiness. In his address to...

The deputy director of the Catholic Institute of Education (CIE) has called on Catholics to help children read. A 2021 survey titled Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) summarised by Professor and author Nick Spaull has shown that the majority...

The Chairperson of the Southern African Council of Priests (SACOP), has called on Priests to attend “ongoing formation programs,” offered by the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC). In his address to delegates during the SACOP annual general meeting...

The president of Caritas Francis Town Diocese in Botswana has said that Synodality is the DNA of the Catholic relief agency. From May 11-16, presidents of Caritas Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa together with their respective coordinators attended the 22nd...

Pope Francis together with Pope Tawadros II announced the addition of 21 Coptic Orthodox martyrs to be inserted into the Roman Martyrology of the Catholic Church as a sign of the spiritual communion of the two Christian Churches. According to Vatican News, Pope...

Pope Francis’s message for the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees published by the Vatican Press Office on Thursday, May 11, highlights the freedom to choose whether to migrate or to stay in one’s native land. In his message titled "Free to choose whether to...

The promotion of vocations to the Priesthood needs to be correctly branded, says the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Liaison Bishop for vocations. From May 8-10, the SACBC Department for Formation, Life, and Ministry of Clergy held the biannual...

Dialogue, reconciliation, and healing of relations between the youth, the clergy, and parents are needed in Kokstad Diocese, says Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa. Over 500 youth from Kokstad Diocese and neighbouring Dioceses gathered at St Patrick’s Cathedral on the...

The Synod on Synodality called for by Pope Francis is “intended to inspire people to dream about the Church we are called to be, to make people’s hopes flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another,...

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) in collaboration with St John Vianney Seminary, St Joseph’s Theological Institute, and St Augustine College of South Africa are investigating various models and structures to maximize the synergy between the...

Normally when public holidays in South Africa follow each other in rapid succession we celebrate long weekends, just as we celebrated one last week with Freedom Day occurring on Thursday. These long weekends can certainly take time away from our productive lives. And...

The Secretariat for the Synod has announced that 70 “non-bishop members” appointed by Pope Francis will be able to vote at the October Synod General Assembly scheduled to take place in Rome. According to the Secretariat for the Synod, the 70 individuals will include...

In his reflection on ‘Freedom Day’, observed annually on April 27 since 1994, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha Diocese calls for an effective education system as well as for the “creation of industries or sectors in rural areas”, to create “employment and begin to...

Conflicts, seasonal migrants, and human trafficking are some of the reasons why there is an increase in stateless children in Africa, Archbishop Joseph Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg Archdiocese has said. Addressing participants during an online conference on...

The annual conference on immigration under the theme ‘Migration in Africa’ held at St Joseph’s Theological Institute (SJTI) in Cedara, Hilton, KwaZulu Natal, from April 14-15, aimed to address the global phenomenon of migration on the continent to contribute for a...

The President of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) has urged young people “to dig deep into the radical roots of the old struggle against apartheid and to take up the New Struggle”, to transform South Africa. In his 2023 Easter message Archbishop Thabo...

More than Christmas, Easter enjoys much attention and participation from Christians, including nominal Christians who do not frequent Sunday services during the year. This is because the narrative of the suffering and death of Christ talks to the human experience of...

The Synodal process speaks about “communion, participation, and mission. When we understand Synodality at this level, it becomes abundantly clear that the Church is Synodal by its very nature”, the Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pretoria has said. In...

His prayer for us to the Father was always that all may be one as you Father are in me and I in you. It is true that we are united to Christ as sons and daughters of the Father in baptism, but that union is only beginning, a fundamental type of oneness. Our union with...

An attentive disciple who listens to the word of the Lord daily. He does not just listen to the word of the Lord by also allows it to permeate and transform his life. Because of the word of the Lord he no longer depends on his strength to fight his enemies, but on God...

Pastoral care agents from the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) have called on the Catholic Church in the Southern region countries to introduce migration catechesis to educate children and young people about Pope Francis four verbs of migration; to...

Fortunately, after night comes day. Fortunately, sin is not the last word; the last word is God’s mercy. This means however a change on our part. A reverse of a situation consisting in detachment from creatures and attachment to God and find again true freedom. This...

In his April newsletter Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha Diocese reflects on Pope Francis’s 10th anniversary observed on March 13th, reminding the people of God of Pope Francis’s humility, simplicity, and accessibility. The Local Ordinary of Mthatha Diocese...

“A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.” ― Oscar Wilde. And so Judas fixed the price on the ointment as he would later fix the price on the Lord, selling Him for a price of a slave. In the Holy Week in Jerusalem oil took on a new...

The crowds after welcoming Jesus happily a few days later they were saying crucify him. They had now been convinced otherwise that he was not the Messiah. When we Christians have made a choice we need to stick to it, and not be persuaded by others. The enthusiasm with...

In his welcoming address to pastoral care agents gathered at Lumko Institute and Conference Centre for a five-days workshop on migration, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Liaison Bishop for Migrants and Refugees Office, Bishop Joseph Mary...

Through Christ the Lord will reconcile with us. During this time of Lent this comes as a reminder to us that we are to reconcile with God as He is offering us an opportunity to return to him. https://youtu.be/m9pGic9SEcI

Refuse to bow down like these three young men. Refuse to compromise values, beliefs, and convictions. It is important especially for young men and women today in South Africa to stand against evil, corruption, or wrong doing. In Botswana, South Africa and Eswatini, it...

We have a long journey and in this journey we are not alone; God is walking with us, giving us hope. Let us keep our eyes fixed on the cross knowing that through it Jesus continues to save us. He is asking us to look at him with the eyes of trust. “Wait for the Lord;...

There’s something really wrong in the way we understand the Gospel - Women continue to be treated as objects, they are the main victims of gender-based violence. Amazingly this happens in countries where people will soon be flocking to their Christian churches to...

People may not be in physical exile, living in their own country, but still be very far from God. This type of separation from God is a spiritual exile or death and it is only the spirit of God that can deliver one from such an exile or death. “Give me justice, O God,...

God enters our world as one of us, as the son of Mary. The coming of the divine son also places Mary under the shadow of the cross; Simeon told Mary a sword shall pierce your own soul too. There is in the world much suffering today. We learn from Mary to day close to...

Fr. Stan Muyebe - SACBC Justice and Peace CommissionHumans Rights Day in South Africa is commemorated annually on 21 March in remembrance of the 69 people protesting against apartheid “pass” laws who were shot dead by the police in Sharpeville on this fateful day in...

We might learn to bargain effectively. The diplomacy of Moses pays off as he convinces God to relent. So, the Lord relented. Our readiness to admit that we’ve often got it wrong and our willingness to return to the Lord mark the beginning of something new. Do we...

God is at work all the time: seeing the plight of his suffering people. Sometimes, we may confuse our distance from God, on account of our sins, as God’s distance from us. But God is very near to us. In this favourable time of Lent, we can receive that longed-for...

The Lenten journey is a pool of mercy where we are invited to Jesus to purify our intentions, to part ways with our own sins, and do away with many things that disqualify us as disciples. There is a complainer, blamer, sinner, disloyal and unrepentant in some of us....

The Holy Father has appointed as vicar apostolic of Ingwavuma (South Africa) the Rev. Fr. Vusumuzi Francis Mazibuko, O.M.I, until now parish priest of St. Mary's in Pietermaritzburg, archdiocese of Durban. Curriculum vitae Rev. Fr. Vusumuzi Francis Mazibuko, O.M.I.,...

Bishop Rodrigues: In a real way Joseph is inspired by God Joseph loved Mary and had a profound respect for her. Being a just man, he was always open to doing God’s will, and it was in that willingness to do God’s will that Joseph received a message from God to take...

Today, 18 March, is the Memorial of Sat Cyril of Jerusalem, but according to the norms of theLiturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church, during the Period of Lent, the readings must be those ofthe Saturday of the Third Week of Lent, the Saints whose Memorials occur on...

Your Holiness On behalf of the Church in Africa and the Islands, I offer you my congratulations and best wishes for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of your Petrine mission. During the period from 11 March 2023 to 19 March 2023, various liturgical and...

St. Francis de Sales said to his people instead of being judgemental and angry with oneself as a worthless sinner penitents should say, “Alas my poor heart! Here we are fallen into the pit we were so firmly resolved to avoid. Well, we must get up again and leave it...

To recognise God’s reign is to recognise that God created us and sustains us. God is worthy of our praise. Our praise is more than just words lifted heavenward, it also includes listening to God. After praise and gratitude, we God a chance to talk. “You have laid down...

The Lord still says to us “You shall not steal.” Why do I see nothing wrong with bribery, nepotism and corruption? The Lord still says, “You shall not commit adultery.” So, why do I see nothing wrong in cheating on my husband or wife? Why do we see nothing wrong with...

Our simple prayer is that God may give us the grace to forgive others as he forgives us. Jesus said we must ask and we will receive. We ask for all kinds of things, but we will receive those very important things when we ask Him, when we knock, and when we seek. “To...

The word of God is sometimes contrary to what social media make us believe. Naaman had his own idea about getting healed from his leprosy. In Nazareth the whole village found it difficult to welcome the message of Jesus which challenged them in their thinking. They...

The wayward and lost son returning to his forgiving father, is a good image of the sacrament of confession The first words of the Entrance Antiphon sets the tone for the message of today’s Mass:  “The Lord is kind and full of compassion”. This is the image of God...

The Holy Father has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban (South Africa) the Rev. Elias Kwenzakufani Zondi, of the clergy of the same archdiocese, currently vicar general and parish priest of St. James in Lamontville, assigning him...

Yet another example that God does not think the way you and I think. If we are honest most of us live pretty comfortable lives and yet we are still not happy. When is enough, enough? Let us put God first in our lives by spending time in prayer and serving others in...

When people turn against you do not hit back, instead pray for them and redouble your efforts to do what will be good for them. “Forsake me not, O Lord! My God, be not far from me! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my strong salvation” (Cf. Ps 37:22-23)...

IntroductionIn union with the universal Church, the Church in Africa celebrated the Synodal ContinentalAssembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1st to 6th of March 2023. This Synodal ContinentalAssembly was organised by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa...

On this year’s Lenten journey, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development wishes to explore the contents of Pope Francis’s message for Lent, in order to offer the Churches around the world an aid to live their Transfiguration in a practical way.   This...

Isaiah warns us of the grave repercussions of our actions in our relationship with God and neighbour. Even though it is delivered in a tone of anger it still comes from the place of love, from the God who wants to see us at right with Him and with one another. “Give...

At that instant it was as if the voice was saying to me “Trust in God, He will never deceive you.” It is when we have deep faith that we will obedient to his word. Is when are obedient to his word that we will find it easy to move out of our comfort zones and be where...

The reader of these two texts (Deut. 26:16-19 and Matt. 5:43-48), is immediately struck by the familiarity of the language used, and the seriousness of the relationship between the Lord Yahweh and the people of Israel. It is not about familiar earthly rules. God...

We cannot blame our parents or society for the good we fail to do. Each of us is held to account for our own life. Many of us would prefer penitential rituals than approach a person and say, “look we cannot go on like this”. It is far easier to seek reconciliation...

We must be respectful because it is the right thing to do. We shouldn’t only be nice to other people just so we can expect a reward or expect them to be good to us; we should do it because it is the right thing to do. We are enriched by the experience of respecting...

By: SACBC Justice and Peace CommissionThe UN and SACBC nation-wide survey with men in taverns highlight the importance of family in ending violence against women. In the previous years, SACBC Justice and Peace has been working with United Nations in implementing a...

The perfect response to this call of conversion is faith. The people of Nineveh are a good example to us. In our context is the turning of our minds and hearts to the truth revealed by Jesus Christ. This faith in Jesus moves us to compassion in opening our eyes to the...

His word is not an empty word; it is a life-giving word. Reading the Bible and listening to the word of God can draw us deeper into union with God Himself. When we read the Bible we pray with the words of God, because the Bible is the book in which God Himself is...

The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) wishes to inform you of the gathering of delegates from across the continent and its islands for a Continental Synod Assembly which takes place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from the 1st to...

The gospel gives us the ways of being holy. By you reaching out to other people, the hungry, strangers, the naked, those on the streets, the Lord blesses you and you become holy. Let us use our resources in helping us to be holy. Like the eyes of slaves on the hand of...

We have a tendency of blaming others. We too should say to the devil, “Be gone,” get out of our lives, but we can’t blame the devil for our sins; it is we who give in to temptations. We need to strengthen ourselves spiritually in order to be able to fight against the...

Instead of cause hurt to others we take the cause of helping and supporting others. Then God promises your light will rise in the darkness. We can ask, “Is there any darkness in me which needs conversion? Like bitterness after being let down by someone I trusted....

Our praying, almsgiving and fasting must not become like external rituals that do not express an honest and genuine relation with God and other people. The practice of social justice and the need to reach out to others remain a challenge that we all face.The Lord...

The Day of a recollection for Khanya House staff, the administrative office of the SACBC in Pretoria, went well, and was a spirit-filled moment for every member of the house. The recollection was led prayerfully by Fr. Dikotsi Mofokeng, a staff and formator at St....

Lent is the time when we are given this wonderful opportunity to become people who live ever better with our freedom. Small is beautiful; we need not always to be bigger, faster and richer, even in small things there is great beauty. When I cried to the Lord, he heard...

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomes Sr Dominica Mkhize FSF as the newAssociate Secretary General. She is replacing Sr Phuthunywa Siyali HC who has been elected asthe Provincial Leader of the Southern Province of the Holy Cross Sisters. Sr...

By Sheila PiresThe outgoing Apostolic Nuncio to South Africa, Archbishop Peter Brian Wells, has lauded the Catholic Church in Southern Africa for being a “young” and “very alive” Church. https://youtu.be/t2AbGS2g31o In a recent interview with Radio Veritas about his...

Caritas South Africa is the helping hand of the church reaching out with love to the poor, vulnerableand excluded ones, regardless of their race or religion. We can accompany through the media manyparts of South Africa where the heavy rains and floods have affected...

On the 08 February 2023 noon, in the Vatican City State, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed The Most Reverent Peter Bryan Wells, Titular Archbishop of Marcianopolis, Apostolic Nuncio of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini, as Apostolic Nuncio...

“Joy and deep gratitude are the feelings of the African people after the historic visit of the Holy Father, Pope Francis,” are the words expressed by the Secretary General of SECAM Fr. Rafael Simbine. Pope Francis travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ The Feast of St Bakhita, brings to mind the plight of those who have been trafficked, stripped of their dignity and their fundamental human rights. We continue to ask that the month of February be dedicated to Human Trafficking...

“We, the bishops of the Catholic Church in Southern Africa, gathered for our plenary session in Pretoria from the 17th to the 24th of January 2023, give thanks to God for the opportunity ofmeeting to reflect on several issues facing us in our Conference area. We are...

Sunday 22nd January was chosen by the SACBC to celebrate the 75 years of the establishment of the bishops’ conference of Southern Africa and the 100 of the apostolic representation in Southern Africa. The first appointee as a Papal Representative to South Africa was...

In the homily on the occasion of the celebration of 75 years anniversary of the SACBC, and 100 years of the Apostolic representation, Archbishop Willian Slattery said Matthew in the Gospel today invites those present to see, to discern the light, because Jesus invites...

Rev. Sy Mamabolo and Mr. Mosotho Moepya from the Electoral Commission Mr. Shaka Dzebu and Fr. Stan Muyebe, O.P. of Justice and Peace On the Friday, 20th January, the 4th day of the SACBC Plenary Session, it was a turn for the Department for the Formation, Life and...

The third day of the plenary of the SACBC, 19 January, started with a report by Archbishop Stephen Brislin from the Vision Committee which was tasked in the August Plenary session to research the possibility of establishing a Pontifical Academic Institution in the...

In the Opening Address of the plenary the President of the SACBC, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, welcomed all to the first plenary of 2023, with a special mention of the Holy Father's representative, Archbishop Peter Wells, of whom he said expresses visible unity between...

The Plenary Session of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) started on 17 January 2023 in Pretoria on the Feast Day of St. Anthony of Egypt, where the Mass was presided over by the President of the Conference Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, attended...

The World Day of the Sick in 2023 will be on the 11th of February, and the theme the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has given to this day is ‘“Take care of him” Compassion as a synodal exercise of healing’. The Pope starts his message by saying illness is part of our...

Christmas Message 2022 Last year’s Christmas was described by one article as “not so jolly” because while there was a bit of a reprieve and lesser stringent measures, the Omicron variant of the virus was still looming large and wearing masks and sanitisation was still...

On the 20th of December the Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation announced that Rev. Fr. Wellington Ncedo Siwundla, till now the Liturgy Father and the Head of Pastoral Department at St JohnVianney Seminary, has been appointed as the New Rector of St John...

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of the Bishop of Kroonstad, Bishop Peter John Holiday.  Bishop Emeritus Holiday is very grateful for the time spent in Kroonstad and appreciative of all the prayers and help that he has received over the years during...

“Catholic young people walking together in communion, participating in life and mission of the Church” is the theme of the 5th Youth and Young Adults conference of the SACBC taking place from 7 to 11 December 2022 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bloemfontein. The...

Ambassador George Johannes died on 30 November 2022 at the Generalate House of the Missionaries of Mariannhill in Rome, where he had been staying with the community of Mariannhill priests and brothers from November 2021. Further information on the repatriation of the...

INTRODUCTIONIt was with great joy that the IMBISA region received the summons of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, to take part in the preparation of the Ordinary Synod of Bishops on synodality. The invitation was greeted with enthusiasm. However, some were pessimistic,...

The Denis Hurley Peace Institute of the SACBC had an extensive travel through out Nampula Province, 15-24 November 2022, to assess the situation on the ground regarding the internally displaced persons. The DHPI reports that despite the ongoing attacks in Cabo...

Opening Prayer: God of endless love, ever caring, ever strong, always present, and always just: You gave your only Son to save us by the blood of his cross. Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace, join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind,...

SACBC Justice and Peace Commission has been working with other civil society organizations, under the umbrella of Defend Democracy Campaign, making sure that the electoral reforms meet the constitutional muster and the need for greater accountability of elected...

On 16 November, the Diocese of Tzaneen in South Africa celebrates the 50th anniversary of its establishment by decree of Pope Paul VI with Irish-born, John Durkin, as its first bishop. This is a typical story of how Irish and other missionaries built the Catholic...

From webinars to book publishing: editorial policy and process in a Synodal Church Catholic Theologians from the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) met at the Europrime Hotel Conference centre in Boksburg, South Africa for the concluding...

Due to the civil unrest that recently erupted in Manzini with the killing of two policemen and following the advice of the Bishop of Manzini, bishop José Ponce de Leon, the Bakhita Project Workshop planned to take place in eSwatini was transferred to Lumko Retreat...

We, the bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, have noted the President’s implementation plan for the State Capture Report.  We welcome the broad reforms that the president has proposed to remedy the gaps in the country’s system of...

On the 1st November 2022 the Holy Father spoke to the university students of Africa about building bridges across Africa. Nine young people from nine different countries representing more than 30 universities had a chance to each comment and ask a question to Pope...

In the Message on the occasion of the synodal encounter between Pope Francis and University Students from Across Africa, prepared by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, the Cardinal said in spite of several remarkable achievements registered over decades of evangelization,...

The 2022 graduation ceremony for the SACBC national seminary, St. John Vianney Seminary, took place on Friday, 21 October 2022, at the seminary in Pretoria. These graduations were for the academic year 2021-2022 and this time 32 students were conferred with their...

In his pastoral letter to the People of God in the Diocese of Manzini, eSwatini, Bishop Jośe Luis Ponce de León said it is unfortunate that, “In eSwatini it is becoming more and more that our choice is death”. This he said in reference to his quoting of the Book of...

A beacon of hope for the poor and oppressed In his letter of condolences to the Provincial Superior of the Dominicans, Fr. Myke Mwale, the President of the SACBC, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, said the news of the passing on of Fr. Albert Nolan OP reached them with a mix...

“In order to provide more time for extended discernment, I have established that this Synodal Assembly will take place in two sessions: The first on 4-29 October 2023 and the second in October 2024." said Pope Francis. The Synod Secretariat said the extension fits in...

Tuesday, 11 October 2022, marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. The Council took place from 1962 to 1965 and ended up producing 16 documents after the oversight of three Popes. It was the 21 Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church...

The St. Augustine’s Primary School in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), turned 175 years in the year 2022 since it was founded by Father Corcoran in 1847, who served as parish priest and principal of the school. Back then it was a two-storey building where the McSherry Hall...

The Archdiocese of Johannesburg marked the end of its season of creation on the 4th of October with a Mass celebrated at the parish of St. Francis of Assisi, Vanderbijlpark. The Mass was celebrated by the Dean of the Deanery of Vaal, Fr. Solomon Mphela, preceded by...

The 13th IMBISA Plenary Session in Windhoek Namibia started on the 22nd of September and will end 27th September. Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, the President of the SACBC, gave a homily at the Mass celebrated on Sunday, 25th September. Giving caution...

In his August 2022 letter to the cardinal, archbishops, bishops, monsignors, priests, religious, deacons and all people of God, the SACBC Liaison Bishop, Bishop Joseph Kizito, concerning the commemoration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees to be celebrated on...

“Our sincerest gratitude for your message of condolences and fraternal solidarity of yesterday,” said Archbishop Inacio Saure, the President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique to Bishop Sipuka, the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference...

Pope Francis sends his condolences to King Charles III and the people of the United Kingdom for the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and praises her “life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth”. “I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that...

The SACBC in August 2022 submitted its synthesis report on the synodal process which took place in various dioceses of the conference. The synthesis was presented at the Plenary Meeting of the bishops in August 2022 in Mariannhill, and was formatted according to the...

Pope Francis presided over the beatification Mass of Pope John Paul I, recalling how his smile communicated the goodness of the Lord. He encouraged everyone to learn from the Lord on how to love without limits and be a Church with a happy, serene and smiling face,...

The episcopal ordination of the Auxiliary Bishop of Pretoria, Bishop Masilo John Selemela took place on the Saturday 03 September 2022 at Moreletapark, Pretoria, presided over by the Archbishop of Pretoria, Archbishop Dabula Mpako as the main consecrator, and Bishop...

“Children don’t have to have to have money to sing”, said Dr. Evona Rebelo of the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) referring to the Catholic Schools Choir Festival in Cape Town which was held on the 14th and 28th August 2022. The festival has been running for 20 years...

“If you change the text of the Mass as you wish, then clearly you are in the wrong place,” said Archbishop Buti Tlhagale in his address to the permanent deacons of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg dated 19th August 2022. The Archbishop addressed a series of issues...

The Generalate of The Sisters of Jesus the Saviour in Nigeria send out a communication on the 23 August 2022 to announce that the sisters, who were kidnapped on their way to Mass on the 21 August, have been safely released. "With heart full of joy, the Sisters of...

Inspired by the Catholic Social Teaching, the SACBC Justice and Peace Commission continues to stand in solidarity with the poor in South Africa who are victims of massive human rights violations perpetrated by powerful multinational corporations and domestic...

High levels of crisis pregnancies in South Africa and limited options lead large numbers of desperategirls and women to abandon their babies in unsafe circumstances, or seek out late-term abortions. Thiscan result in death or injury to the child and the mother. The...

“The greatest sin is that people have lost a sense of sin… There is going to be a lot of need for exorcisms in the near future,” said some of the priest participants at the SACBC Exorcism Workshop that took place from 15 – 18 August 2022, at the Lumko Institute,...

At the back of the Statement on the Economy, High Levels of Unemployment, and Cost of Living the bishops of the SACBC are inviting their faithful brothers and sisters to join with them in reciting the below prayer daily in homes, schools, at gatherings and at the end...

Although you can be a temple of the Holy Spirit by yourself, you cannot be Church by yourself. So, as a Catholic in Eswatini, Botswana and South Africa, you belong to a parish, then possibly a deanary, then a Diocese or Vicariate, then SACBC, the IMBISA then SECAM as...

The bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference say they are concerned about “the current high levels of unemployment and the rising cost of living and how they disproportionately impact the lives of those at the margins of the economy.” The bishops...

Bishop Reginald Michael Cawcutt, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop, will be buried on 17 August 2022 at Maitland Cemetary. He will be buried among some of the deceased bishops and priests of the Arcdiocese. His Requiem Mass will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians parish,...

Thursday morning 4th of August, the outgoing St. John Vianney Seminary, and now the Auxiliary Bishop-Elect, Mgr John Selemela gave a report on the state of the seminary which has commenced its second semester on the 19th of July 2022. The rector noted that due to the...

On Wednesday morning, 05 August 2022, the bishops of the SACBC discussed a possible establishment of a body that might be called the SACBC Missionary Commission which would fall under the SACBC Council for Evangelisation.This commission would represent the missionary...

The SACBC plenary meeting is underway at the Mariannhill Monastery in Pinetown. The meeting started the afternoon on Monday the 1st of August with the Admin Board meeting as usual, and it will also end with the admin board meeting of Friday Morning. Compared will the...

The 19th Plenary Assembly of the SYMPOSIUM OF EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES OF AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR (SECAM) took place from July 25 to August 1, 2022 in Accra, Ghana on the theme: “Ownership of SECAM: Security and Migration in Africa and the Islands.”At the end of this...

“I am very happy, full of jubilation, everything you would want to feel”, said Thembi Kgahlana, the Banyana Banyana striker on the 27th July in an interview with the SACBC. She said she is thinking especially about every person who made sure that the way is paved for...

For the protection of the charism of Opus Dei By the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, published on 19 March 2022, Pope Francis reorganised the Roman Curia. The Article 117 establishes that the Dicastery for the Clergy will oversee personal prelatures,...

"In order to protect the freedom of the People of God and the exercise of the episcopal ministry, it seems necessary to clarify that the 'Synodal Path' in Germany does not have the faculty to oblige bishops and the faithful to assume new forms of governance and new...

The 5th General Assembly of Caritas South Africa (Caritas SA) which started with an opening prayer by its President Bishop Stanislaw Dziuba of Umzimkulu took place virtually on the 20th July 2022. The participants, who are representatives of different diocese within...

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pretoria (South Africa) the Rev. Fr. Masilo John Selemela, of the clergy of Tzaneen, currently Rector of the National Major Seminary of St. John Vianney, assigning him...

In an interview with ACIAfrica the spokesperson of the SACBC Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town said they are calling on the government to protect its citizens because the people in South Africa have a right to be protected. “It seems to me that there is a...

In an interview with Televisa Univision’s streaming service ViX, Pope Francis discusses his health and the possibility of resigning, as well as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the fight against abuse of minors. He also talks about abortion and politics, saying...

In his July pastoral letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Mthatha, Bishop Sithembele Siphuka started by aiming his focus on “Reflection on life” with a reminder of the famous saying“An unexamined life is not worth living”. He says as he approaches the 7th decade...

Bishop Anthony Rebello said it was in 1989, when he was in Angola during the peak of the war where he experienced a lot of people migrating from their homes to safe places in other parts of the country. He said they were walking for many kilometers. Making this remark...

Due to growing concern about the way crises in Africa (and elsewhere in the world) are being ignored because of the war in Ukraine the DHPI (Denis Hurley Peace Institute) worked with its partner organization Crisis Action (they received a request for this from the...

The U.S. Supreme court has over-ruled a landmark ruling which made abortion up to birth a constitutional right. The decision does not abolish access to abortion but hands the power to individual American states to decide what their abortion laws might be. Elyssa Koren...

STATEMENT WORLD REFUGEE DAY – 20 JUNE 2022 Every person on this planet has a right to seek safety – whoever they are, wherever they come from and whenever they are forced to flee. Each year on June 20, the world celebrates World Refugee Day. This year, the UNHCR chose...

The episcopal ordination of Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa C.M.M as the 5th Bishop of Kokstad since it was elevated to a diocese in 1951 took place on the 11th June 2022. The ordination was graced by the presence of 23 bishops, among them three bishops from Lesotho and...

Over the period 23 May to 5 June, DHPI in collaboration with the Faculty of International Social Work of the University of Applied Sciences Wurzburg-Schweinfurt (FHWS) in Germany and the Scalabrini Centre for Migration Studies (CSEM) in Brazil, and supported by...

6 June 2022 It is with shock and distress that we learned about the massacre of more than 50 Catholics during the Pentecost Day Mass on Sunday, 5 June 2022, in Ondo Diocese, Nigeria It is most disheartening and contradictory that when we celebrate a model of unity of...

By: SACC JOHANNESBURG: 2 June 2022 - From 24-27 May 2022, a South African Council of Churches (SACC) delegation joined former SACC General Secretary and Vice-President, the Rev Frank Chikane on his pastoral visit to Palestine/Israel, fulfilling his commitment to...

By: Thembekile Kanise The Catholic Diocese of Mthatha is one of the areas affected by floods that engulfed South Africa. The area affected the most is Port St John's where an estimated 420 families were left destitute after heavy rains swept their homes. These rains...

The Holy Father Pope Francis expressed his prayerful solidarity with the people of South Africa who have been affected by the devastating floods in his annual Easter blessing of "Urbi et Orbi" on the 17 April 2022, Easter Sunday. He expressed also his hope for peace...

We must learn to serve others in the way Jesus serves them, and to love as Jesus loves them. We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered. Cf. Gal 6.14...

The Vatican Migrants and Refugees third bulletin deals with Migrant workers discrimination and inequalities. It states that the reality shows cases of unfair access to the labour market for migrant workers and differences in standards between local and migrant...

Wonderful good, salvation, comes out of this tragic happenings. Joyous elation and suffering walk side by side. While recall the suffering and death of Jesus we know also that He has risen. Similarly during Eastertide we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection while we also...

During Holy Week it is easy for us to lose sight of the Father. Jesus is preparing for us a new life. This new life is given to us even during our earthly days through the gifts, the fruits, and the grace of the Holy Spirit. God the Father longs for each of us to...

It is wonderful to know that God knows are suffering. Prayers of the poor and the suffering do not fall on deaf ears, they are heard. Jesus in his suffering absorbs our pain, and makes pain an instrument of salvation. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed are you, who have...

Ultimately, we should ask ourselves what we would have done if we were part of the meeting with the high priest. Would you stand with Jesus even if others were hostile or would you back down? So let us reflect today on how we treat each other. We should always...

His Holiness, Pope Francis, has appointed Rev. Fr. Thulani Victor Mbuyisa, CMM, till now the Superior General of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Marrianhill, as the Bishop of the Diocese of Kokstad. Curriculum vitae His Excellency, Monsignor Thulani Victor...

Isn’t this true of the society today? That we believe in Christ, but we are still sinful. Belief is one thing, acting on that believe is very different, and probably more important. Faith without works is dead. My deliverer from angry nations, you set me above my...

As we continue our Lenten journey, an opportune time for our inner conversion, we are invited to seek Christ who is the truth, the way, and the life. Seek Him ten times more. Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek...

On the 26th of March 2022, the ACTS (Association of Catholic Tertiary Students) National Chaplain Fr Mthembeni Dlamini CMM, together with the Executive members, Mr Onnalenna Kenosi (ACTS President) and Ms Boipelo Dladla (Secretary for Media and Publicity) and Ms...

Humility is nothing more, nothing less that truth. To know who I am, nothing more, nothing less before God. To see myself rightly. And when we see ourselves rightly in the presence of God we do not lay claim to what we have done to our many merits. We ask the one...

The prayer for the Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate of Heart of Mary will basically take place throughout the region of SACBC in different prayer settings, with some bishops having already indicated how it will take place in their dioceses. In the...

Dear People of God, Due to the tragic war unfolding in Ukraine, Pope Francis will lead an Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the Feast of the Annunciation this Friday March 25. The Pope will make the prayer in St Peter’s...

Behold, a faithful and prudent steward, whom the Lord set over his household. Cf. Lk 12.42 In the Scripture he is a silent man but nevertheless a presence that is strong, a presence that is faithful. He says yes to God and God’s will for his own life, just as Mary...

Following the announcement from the Holy See that the Holy Father will consecrate both Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Holy Mass for Peace in Ukraine was celebrated by His Excellency Cardinal Pietro Parolin the evening of the 16 March 2022. In...

Test me, O God, and know my thoughts. See that my path is not wicked, and lead me in the way everlasting. Cf Ps. 138: 23-24 Yet another example that God does not think the way you and I think. If we are honest most of us live pretty comfortable lives and yet we are...

In the afternoon of 16 March 2022 the Deputy President of South Africa David Mabuza will be answering questions from the members of parliament. Among the question he will have to answer is a question from Mohammed Dangor concerning undocumented foreign nationals....

South Africa’s refusal to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been widely criticised, at home and abroad. The government argues that the situation should be addressed through mediation and negotiation, and that condemning Russia would be one-sided and serve no...

To you I call, for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me. Cf. Ps 16.6,8 We can always try our level best to make things right at the later time in the event that we...

Redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me. My foot stands on level ground; I will bless the Lord in the assembly. Cf. Ps 25.11-12 This public act of confession on the part of the people of Israel is one that we the Church can easily make our own. We that we too have...

Of you my heart has spoken, Seek his face. It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face from me. Cf. Ps 26.8-9 The church reminds us of the most effective method we have for drinking in all the graces God wants to give us during this Lenten season, prayer....

The law of the Lord is perfect; it revives the soul. The decrees of the Lord are steadfast; they give wisdom to the simple. Cf. Ps 18.8 Our lent is supposed to be a very positive thing, something that helps us grow closer to God, to others, and to ourselves. We have...

Set me free from my distress, O Lord. See my lowliness and suffering, and take away all my sins. Cf. Ps 24.17-18 Forgiveness, something many of us find difficult to practice on occasions. It is a challenge indeed to forgive but if we wish to live with peace in our...

The president of the Republic, President of The Order of the Star of Italy, having heard the council of the order on the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conferred the honour of Distinguished Knight to Sr. Maria De Lourdes Lodi Rissini. Those are the...

On Sunday 6th March 2022 at the Angelus in St Peter’s Square Pope Francis announced that he has dispatched two Cardinals, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and Cardinal Michael Czerny, as an expression of the Church’s solidarity with the suffering Ukrainian people. On the 7th...

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) heartily supports the prospect ofPope Francis providing mediation for lasting peace and security between Russia andUkraine. As the talks between the two countries ended with no breakthroughs exceptthe good intention to keep...

In its press release the Niwano Peace foundation says the 39th Niwano Peace Prize will be awarded to Father Michael Lapsley, SSM of South Africa in recognition of his relentless struggle against apartheid and social discriminations, his support for the liberation...

“There is a need to restore the confidence of the faithful in the integrity and honour of the priesthood,” said Archbishop Buti Tlhagale in the homily at the ordination of Bishop Neil Frank as the Coadjutor Bishop of Mariannhill Diocese. The ordination took place on...

Speaking at the end of the General Audience, Pope Francis invited everyone to make 2 March, Ash Wednesday, a Day of Fasting for Peace. “I encourage believers in a special way to dedicate themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace...

“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all” (Gal 6:9-10), is the subheading of the message of Pope Francis for Lent 2022. In is typical method of...

In his closing remarks of the IMBISA (Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa) workshop on Migrants and Refugees in Pretoria Bishop Joseph Kizito, the Liaison Bishop of the Migrants and Refugees Office of the SACBC, challenged the participants to give...

In collaboration with the Catholic Health Care Association (CATHCA) of Southern Africa two Catholic Parishes in the archdiocese of Johannesburg (All Saints in Ennerdale and Our Lady of Mercy in Emdeni) embark on the implementation of Parish Mental Health Ministry. The...

Last night’s State of the Nation Address contained one of the longest ‘shopping lists’ of economicmeasures that we have heard for some time from a President. In one way this is fitting, since thesolutions to so many of the problems that beset our nation – poverty,...

The Thirtieth World day of the Sick is celebrated on 11 February 2022. In his message for this world day of the sick the Holy Father acknowledged that many advances have been made, yet there is still a long way to go in ensuring that all the sick, also those living in...

The Catholic Institute of Education is deeply concerned about the increasing violent attacks on schools, principals, teachers and learners.  The Catholic Education community mourns the death of the Principal of Mariatrost Junior Primary and his wife who were...

There are millions enslaved in the world today and only 1% of victims are ever rescued, according to International Labour Organisation. The Counter Trafficking In Persons (CTIP) of the SACBC celebrated the Mass for St. Bakhita Day on 8 February 2022 at St. Augustine...

With what we have come to know as the Covid-19 pandemic one cannot be blamed for having been mistaken into thinking that other serious bodily ailments have gone into oblivion since the majority of focus in the health sector has been placed on combating the covid...

“I do not have words to express enough how special my Dad was to all of us as a family. I am glad he gave us a firm Christian foundation and teachings of the Church from a very young age". Those were there word of the daughter of Benedict Daswa quoted by Bishop...

“The present situation has made me want to accompany with humility, affection and openness each individual, married couple and family in all those situations in which you find yourselves,” said Pope Francis in his letter to married couples for the “Amoris Laetitia...

The following are bishops responsible for various departments, offices and bodies within the SACBC. Responsible-Bishops-for-Departments-Office-and-Bodies_UpdatedDownload

Reports on Saturday 22 January 2022 in the Plenary Meeting of the SACBC were given by the SACBC department of finance, communication office as well as the department of Christian formation and the department of formation, life, and apostolate of the laity. The report...

On Friday, 21 January 2022 the plenary’s attention turned to the seminaries, South African Council of Priests, and Justice and peace. Fr. Thomas Plastow SJ and Fr John Selemela gave reports for the Orientation Seminary, St. Francis Xavier in Cape Town and St. John...

On the afternoon of the third day of the plenary the SACBC had elections for the troika, the president and the two vice-presidents. The outcome of the elections were the same as the one in the previous elections meaning Bishop Sithembele Sipuka remains the President...

On the second day of the Pleanary in the morning session there were addresses from the president of the Conference, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka; an address from the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Peter Wells; and report from the secretary general of SACBC, Fr Hugh...

January 18 to 25, 2022 are days dedicated to an octave of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme for 2022 is “We Saw the Star in the East, and We Came To Worship Him.” In the SACBC region by design or coincidence the week of prayer for Christian unity happens exactly...

“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who arepoor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers ofChrist. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an...

The SACBC would like to convey a fraternal message of condolences to Mrs Leah Tutu, the family and the Anglican Church over the death of the Late Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Mpilo Tutu. The Archbishop will be remembered for his immense spiritual...

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed Fr Neil Augustine Frank OMI, the Coadjutor Bishop ofMariannhill, with special faculties. Mgr. Neil Frank was the Provincial of the OMI Province of Southern Africa until his appointment by the Holy Father. Curriculum vitae...

Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference is deeply concerned about the planned exploration of oil and gas reserves in the Eastern Cape off the coast between Morgan Bay and Port St Johns.We are deeply disappointed that the government has decided to turn a blind...

Statistics South Africa has reached out to SACBC and other faith-based organizations to help in the drive to get people in South Africa to participate in the 2022 census, the fourth population count which will take place in February. “Stats SA will recruit about 165...

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITHDownload here Note on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines The question of the use of vaccines, in general, is often at the center of controversy in the forum of public opinion. In recent months, this Congregation...

The role of SANEF (South African National Editors Forum) and its benefit to the people of faith

By Bishop Emeritus Kevin Dowling On the Day of Reflection on South African economy, on the 19th November 2021, Bishop Kevin Dowling gave the below talk. The 3 issues we hear of so often in South Africa are poverty, inequality and unemployment, and I am very aware that...

On the 23rd November 2021, in his homily to the diocesan coordinators at a workshop on Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale who is the Liaison Bishop for Migrants and Refugees of the SACBC, suggested that pastoral work to Migrants and...

If you are old enough to understand what are crimes against humanity you have probably heard about the genocide that ravaged the people of Rwanda during the civil war in 1994. Many accounts of what happened in that horrible period of about 100 days have been told. You...

A DAY OF DISCERNMENT AND REFLECTION ON SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY FROM THE VIEW POINT OF THE CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING  - 19th NOVEMBER 2021. (Update) Live on SACBC Justice and Peace Facebook and Radio Veritas from 3pm SACBC Justice and Peace Commission invites you to...

Catholic regions in Africa had a meeting with the Communications Manager of the Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops, Thierry Bonaventura, on the 13th of November 2021 to create an opportunity to hear about the opening of the synod in different countries in Africa. It...

On Thursday 4 November 2021 the Constitutional Court in South Africa sat to decide on the ratification of the high court's declaration that the legislation that prevents the burying of foetuses under 26 weeks is unconstitutional. In April the High Court in Pretoria...

The Pope’s Message: ‘Towards an Ever Wider We’ The Pope’s message is a fundamental call for inclusivity, revealing a deep understanding that the institutions that shape our society, such as the economy, our political culture, and our lifestyle choices, must be more...

The 2021 graduation ceremony of the national seminary of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, St. John Vianney, took place on the Friday, 22nd October. A more festive ceremony this year compared to last year where they had a very subdued celebration due...

Dear Fellow Caritas Friends,The Poor will always be among you. Of course we know it’s a citation from Jesus, that is related in thebible, in the Gospel of Mark, with a parallel in Matthew. Yet as Caritas we feel a bit uneasy – didn’t wemake the eradication of poverty...

In this time of renewal and pastoral conversion when the Church faces the scandal and wounds of the sexual abuse inflicted on so many of God's children everywhere, our Holy Father has received a courageous witness offered to all priests by a survivor. By sharing this...

The 2021 South African municipal elections will be held on Monday, 1 November 2021, to elect councils for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces. The following is the message from the Southern African Catholic...

Pope Francis on Wednesday received in audience Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorized his dicastery to promulgate the decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Albino Luciani or Pope...

“The big polluters, the G20 countries – need to heed this call and end their addiction to fossil fuels immediately” - Albert Mashika of Caritas Africa 78 Catholic leaders from G20 countries, including seven bishops from SACBC, have sent a petition to world leaders...

The President of SACBC Bishop Sithembele Sipuka is on a solidarity visit to eSwatini to get the feel of the situation first hand. He is accompanied by the Secretary General of the Bishops’ Conference, Fr. Hugh O’Connor, together with the Associate, Sr. Phuthunywa...

Back in 2019 given the prevailing electoral environment of the time the SACBC had made an appeal that each citizen has a “grave responsibility to create the environment of tolerance and acceptance which enables every South African to support and vote for the party...

The Press Release of the World Youth Day for Lisbon 2023 reads as follows: The World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023, a youth meeting with people from all over the world with the Pope, will take place from August 01-06 2023. The date is announced this Monday, 4th October,...

As a result of a need for all continents to have a team that is organizing the training of their chaplains and animators five names were brought forward to head and organize the African continent; Fr. Mthembeni Dlamini CMM, Fr. Sixte Hakiziman, Sr. Brigitte Mali, Ms....

Johan Viljoen, the Director of Denis Harley Peace Institute, said he was happy to hear Bishop Wilfrid Anagbe and Father Remigius Ihyula, both of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Benue State, referring to what is happening in Nigeria as a genocide. In an online...

“Stand up. I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen." (cf. Acts 26:16) Dear young people, Once again I would like to take you by the hand and walk with you on the spiritual pilgrimage that leads to the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon. Last year’s Message, which...

The Southern Cross is alive and kicking at 101 years old, despite the many challenges of the last year, and the new monthly magazine has been very well received. This was the message coming out of a catch-up session between those directors who were able to meet face...

On Tuesday the 21st September 2021, in the second week of the orientation programme for new missionaries the morning session started with a viewing of a documentary that Fr. Hugh O’Connor, the Secretary General of SACBC, said will be gut-wrenching for some. Since it...

Speaking to a group of new missionaries at the orientation programme in Benoni on Thursday, 16 September 2021, the Archbishop of Johannesburg, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, said though challenges facing the Catholic Church in South Africa are many the major challenge to...

The SACBC orientation programme for new missionaries started on Monday, 13 September 2021, and it will run until 24th September. The aim of the programme is to give a missionaries the opportunity to be exposed and reflect on some key mission or missionary documents of...

Bishop Joseph Kizito of the Diocese of Aliwal made a presentation to the missionaries on the second day of the orientation program, 14 September 2021, and among them were missionaries who work in his own diocese. His focus was on “The Church’s Mission and being...

His Holiness, Pope Francis, celebrated the closing Mass at the International Eucharistic Congress which took place in Budapest, Hungary, from the 5th to 12th September 2021. "Eucharistic Congresses are gatherings of ecclesiastics and laymen for the purpose of...

Conscious of the a difficult period a number of countries are going though the Standing Committee of IMBISA met in Pretoria to on the situation in its region. They noted also the plight on young people who are not sidelined and not participating meaningfully in the...

On the 7th and 8th of September 2021 there was a Joint Witness meeting between the Bishops of the SACBC and the Leaders of Religious Congregations in the SACBC territory. Due to now ubiquitous covid limitations this meeting which was facilitated by Brother Michael...

Owing to Covid-19 restrictions just a handful of bishops attended the episcopal ordination of Bishop Anthony Pascal Rebello in Francistown, Botswana, on the 4th September 2021. Among them was the Principal Consecrator Archbishop Frank Nubuasah; the Bishop of Gaborone,...

On the afternoon of 01 September 2021, Johan Viljoen, the Director of Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI), was among a panel of four speakers addressing the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) as well as the European Parliament Development Committee...

By: Bishop Sithembele Sipuka I would be remiss to let the month of August pass without referring to women who, in the light of the prevailing patriarchal culture of our society have ended the month of August dedicated to them for heightened appreciation of their...

By: Sr. Nkhensani Shibambu On 17 August 2021, six conferences of Major Superiors in the Southern African region met together on Zoom for the first time in their history heeding the call of the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) for the...

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The collection in 2021 for the Bishops' Lenten Appeal is about 49% of what was collected 2019. However with only 4 weeks of the Bishops’ Lenten Appeal collection and only a 50% capacity in parish attendance, the total sum of R 4 833 492, 94 was raised. (Please refer...

My dear brothers and sisters, Perhaps some of you may wonder: why does the Bishop write a pastoral letter on the safeguarding of creation? Are there no more important issues to address? It may sound as something new to many of us but the present reality, many people...

The SACBC in the recent August Plenary appointed Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, the Archbishop of Johannesburg, as its spokesperson until the elections in January 2022. Archbishop Tlhagale was the President of SACBC from 2007 to 2013, having served before as the Secretary...

You may recall that last year, at the same time as the April lock-down, there was an enquiry addressed to us in regard to the celebration of the extra-ordinary form of the Roman Rite. This Motu Propio concludes that survey. Pope Francis has issued an urgent call to...

Quoting the SACBC Vision Statement “Evangelising Community, Serving God, Humanity and all Creation,” Fr Jerry Browne, the Director of The Pontifical Mission Societies, said there is a great opportunity for interplay between the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) and...

Caritas South Africa held its 4th General Assembly on the 21st July 2021 in a meeting that was held online due to current covid-19 restrictions. Present at the assembly were various participants including the president of Caritas South Africa, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier,...

Kindly,  join us tomorrow for SACBC webinar conversation with Father Michael Lapsley, the president of the Healing of Memories Global Network   Topic:  How do we find God's hope and healing as a nation after recent unrest and political turmoil? Date:...

Sunday the 25th July 2021 marks the First World Day for the Grandparents and Elderly as promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Francis, on the 22nd June 2021. In his message to grandparents and the elderly title “I am with you always”, the Pope Francis said, "Even at the...

Pope Francis publishes a motu proprio on Friday to redefine the use of the pre-Vatican missal granting the decision to allow its use the local bishops. Groups attending the pre-Vatican liturgy must not deny the validity of the liturgical reform dictated by the Second...

Kwazulu-Natal Church Leaders Group urges citizens to opt for peace in the midst of all chaotic violence. “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms the violence that has wreaked havoc across ourprovince: destroying property, infrastructure and businesses,...

On the 5th of July in it’s statement the IMBISA (The Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa) has expressed its sadness and concern on the ongoing events in the Kingdom of Eswatini which have resulted in the loss of lives and livelihoods. The bishops went...

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed Reverend Father Anthony Pascal Rebello as the new Bishop of Francistown. The diocese has been without a bishop since Bishop Franklyn Nubuasah was transferred to the Diocese of Gaborone on the 6th of June 2019. The SACBC...

Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon, the Bishop of the Diocese of Manzini, continues to call for calm and dialogue as was the earlier appeal of the Council of Swaziland Churches. "An all inclusive and open dialogue without excluding anystakeholder is the only possible way...

By Sheila Pires – Johannesburg The Migrants and Refugees Office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) in partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), celebrated World Refugee Day on Sunday June 20th, with a special...

On World Refugee Day – Sunday 20 June 2021 – join Mr. Valentin Tapsoba, Director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Southern Africa, and Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, o.m.i. of the Southern African Catholic Bishop’s Conference, in a service dedicated to honouring the...

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The changes to Book IV of Canon Law, which are penal sanctions in the church, are detailed in an Apostolic Constitution called Pascite Gregem Dei (Tend the Flock of God). "The main criteria for the revision of the penal law can be summarized in three points. First,...

On Holy Trinity Sunday Bishop Siphiwo Paul Vanqa celebrated his first Mass in the Cathedral of Christ the King as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Queenstown (Komani). Bishop Vanqa was accompanied by 6 of his brother bishops, the priests of the diocese, the religious...

“Remember it is those who had endurance that we say are the blessed ones. You have heard of the patience of Job, and understand the Lord’s purpose, realizing that the Lord is kind and compassionate” (JM 5:11) The above text from St. James is one of the Epistles...

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The Catholic Institute of Education the service arm of the Catholic Board of Education and which serves schools across our nation. https://www.cie.org.za/pages/partners-annual-report  Choose the 2020 Annual Report it will download

26 February 2021 STATEMENT From the desk of the General Secretary, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana SACC STATEMENT OF THE DESTABILISATION OF THE COUNTRY The heads of churches of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) met on Thursday, 25 February 2021, and expressed alarm...

Each year the Holy Father writes a special message for the World Communication Day. This year on 23rd January Pope Francis released a World Communication Day message titled, “‘Come and See’ (Jn 1:46). Communicating by Encountering People Where and as They Are”. The...

The 4th Sunday of Easter is the Good Shepherd Sunday and a day in which vocations are especially remembered and prayed for. It is for this reason it will be good to remember the message written by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, on the 19 March 2021, the Feast of St....

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin, Mary.  Although not much is said of him in scripture, he seems larger than life.  Often, we only think of Saint Joseph when there is a nativity play and some child plays his part....

A Lenten reflection by Fr. Hugh O'Connor As they began to contemplate the saying they began to treat each other with a lot more respect because maybe the other person is the Messiah. https://youtu.be/9GmGs8wCKYI