Pope Francis Appoints Cardinal Brislin Metropolitan Archbishop of Johannesburg

In a communique shared with the Secretary General of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC), the Apostolic Nuncio to Southern Africa Archbishop Henryk Jagodzinski says, “Pope Francis has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Stephen Brislin as Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, transferring him from the Archdiocese of Cape Town.”

The 68-year-old Cardinal was ordained a Priest in 1983, after completing his studies in philosophy at St John Vianney, Pretoria and Theology at the London Missionary Institute. In October 2006 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Kroonstad, and in December 2009 he was elected Archbishop of Cape Town.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 30 September 2023, of the Title of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello, Cardinal Brislin has also served as SACBC president from 2013 to 2019 and was recently re-elected to head the SACBC from January 2025.

The newly appointed Archbishop who is also a member of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints “must take possession within two months of the date of publication of the announcement.”

Ordained a Priest of Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in August 1976, the first Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Johannesburg, His excellency Archbishop Buti Joseph Tlhagale “will remain Apostolic Administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg until the new Archbishop takes possession.”