The president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) says the new Cardinal should “obey God in word and actions and inspire others to do the same.”

In his homily during the ‘Thanksgiving Mass for the inauguration of Archbishop Stephen Brislin as Cardinal’ Bishop Sithembele Sipuka reflected on the day’s readings (26th Sunday, Year A) which invited the people of God to “consider the importance of harmonising our words with our actions.”

“If we claim to be upright according to the first reading, then this must be clear in our acts of being just and in avoiding committing sin. If we claim to be in Christ, we must not be competitive but think of other people’s interests. And finally, according to the Gospel, we are not to pay lip service to God but to do God’s will,” said Bishop Sipuka on Sunday, October 1.

He added, “According to today’s readings, it is that you should obey God in word and actions and inspire others to do the same.”

Cardinal Brislin of Cape Town Archdiocese was made Cardinal on Saturday, September 30 alongside 20 other new Cardinals.

Among those present at St Peter’s Square were Cardinal Emeritus Wilfrid Napier, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa Thabo Makgoba, the Auxiliary Bishop of Cape Town Archdiocese Bishop Sylvester David, Bishop José Ponce de Leon of Manzini Diocese, and the two SACBC Bishops attending the Synod Archbishop Dabula Mpako of Pretoria Archdiocese and Bishop Thulani Mbuyisa of Kokstad Diocese.