Participants in IMBISA-SACBC Webinar Call for Stronger Church Voice Amid Anti-Migrant Protests in South Africa

by Sheila Pires | May 12, 2026 | Featured, Migrants and Refugees Office

Participants in a webinar organised by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Migrants, Refugees, and Human Trafficking Office and the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) have issued a strong appeal for faith-based leaders...

Southern Africa mourns humanitarian and peace advocate Johan Viljoen

by Sheila Pires | May 7, 2026 | Featured, Dennis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI)

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) announces with deep sorrow the passing of Mr Johan Viljoen, who was called to his eternal rest at his home on Wednesday night, 06 May 2026. We commend his soul to the loving mercy of God and extend our...

IMBISA Need for Inclusive Communication and Full Participation of Persons with Disabilities

by Sheila Pires | May 6, 2026 | Featured

The Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) convened a regional workshop on Communication and Disability from 27 April to 1 May at the Padre Pio Retreat Centre in Pretoria. The meeting brought together bishops, priests, religious, and lay...

The Bishops’ Foundations Newsletter

by danvdb | Apr 30, 2026 | Uncategorized, Bishops Foundation Newsletter

The Bishops Foundation Newsletter April Dear Friends Another Holy Week is upon us, and we journey with Jesus with our own anxieties and worries alongside others with theirs. In a world torn apart by violence and destruction, filled with so many words and empty...

St Anne’s Sodality Leaders Encouraged to Serve with Humility and Commitment

by Sheila Pires | Apr 29, 2026 | Uncategorized, Featured, Laity

Members of the leadership of St Anne’s Sodality from across Southern Africa gathered in Johannesburg Archdiocese for a three-day inter-diocesan council meeting focused on formation, leadership, and service within the Church. The gathering brought together newly...

Church and state in focus at the 2026 Bishop Mandlenkhosi Zwane Memorial Lecture

by Sheila Pires | Apr 28, 2026 | Uncategorized, Featured

By Kati Dijane The faithful gathered at the Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral on Saturday, 25 April 2026, for the annual Bishop Mandlenkhosi Zwane Memorial Lecture, an event that continues to honour the life, legacy and enduring vision of the first local bishop of...

Bishop Zungu OFM: Formation of the Laity and Strong Families Are Essential for the Church’s Mission

by Sheila Pires | Apr 27, 2026 | Featured, Laity, Marriage and Family

The Church must continue to invest in the formation of the laity and support families as the backbone of both society and ecclesial life, according to the Chairperson of the Department for the Laity of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Speaking...

Cardinal Brislin Calls for Unity, Gratitude, and Solidarity on Freedom Day

by Sheila Pires | Apr 26, 2026 | Featured

As South Africans commemorate Freedom Day, marking the birth of democracy and the end of apartheid, the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) calls on citizens to give thanks for the country’s hard-won freedom and to work together to...

Pope Leo XIV Appoints Father Motlatsi Meshack Phomane as Bishop of Bethlehem Diocese

by Sheila Pires | Apr 14, 2026 | Featured

The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed Reverend Father Motlatsi Meshack Phomane, a priest of Mthatha Diocese, as the new Bishop of Bethlehem Diocese. He succeeds Bishop Jan de Groef M.Afr, who has shepherded the diocese since December 2008. At 50 years of age,...

“We Support Him as He Prophetically Speaks Truth to Power” – Southern African Bishops Reaffirm Communion with Pope Leo

by Sheila Pires | Apr 14, 2026 | Featured, Bishop Statements

The members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) have expressed deep sorrow and concern following comments and allegations directed at the Holy Father by United States President Donald Trump. In the Tuesday, 14 April 2026 statement signed by...