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 Africa, Bishop Stanisław Jan Dziuba of Umzimkulu Diocese said that for Caritas “to become integrated into the structures and life of the Church”, especially in Dioceses and Parishes, the charity arm of the Catholic Church must ensure the implementation of establishing “Diocesan Chaplains.”
“To foster the spiritual source and dimension of Caritas, we need to have Diocesan Chaplains of Caritas, who take a leading role in the spiritual formation of the Diocesan Committee, as well as all staff and volunteers of Caritas in the diocese in cooperation with the Parish Priests,” said Bishop Dziuba during the Friday, July 28 online event.
He added, “The formation is to be centered on the Catholic Social Teaching, spirituality, and practices.”
Bishop Dziuba continued saying that the “trial guidelines of such chaplains” approved by members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) must be implemented.
According to the guidelines, the role of the chaplain is to foster team spirit, delegate tasks and equally manage the spiritual life of the organization. The Chaplain for Caritas in the Diocese must also participate with dedication in the life of the Organisation.
In the July 28 online event that saw the participation of the Regional Coordinator of Caritas Africa Lucy Esipila, Bishop Dziuba congratulated Caritas South Africa for its response to “the cries of the poor and the earth.”
He reminded Caritas coordinators that what “specifies its (Caritas) service within the Church, compared with many other ecclesial associations and institutions devoted to charity, is its task of assisting and supporting the Bishops in their exercise of pastoral Caritas, in communion with the Apostolic See and in harmony with the Church’s magisterium.”
Toward the end of the online event, Bishop Dziuba encouraged coordinators to work towards the growth of Caritas South Africa, he said, “Let’s dream great visions of Caritas, to become real Service of Charity of our Catholic Church, based on the Love of Jesus, to the people of our Communities.”
