With joy and thanksgiving, the Archdiocese of Johannesburg celebrated the 65th anniversary of the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the King on Saturday, 20 September 2025. The solemn Mass was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Southern Africa.

Speaking as the representative of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, Archbishop Henryk Mieczysław Jagodziński brought the Pope’s blessing, closeness, and fatherly love to the faithful gathered for the historic celebration.

In his homily, the Nuncio reminded the congregation that a cathedral is far more than a structure of stone and glass. “A cathedral is not only a beautiful building. It is not simply an architectural masterpiece, though its beauty indeed lifts our hearts to God. A cathedral is the mother church of the diocese. Here stands the bishop’s chair – the cathedra – the sign of his teaching, his pastoral care, and his unity with the whole People of God,” he said.

Archbishop Jagodziński emphasized that the cathedral must be a gathering place for all, as “It is here that all are called to gather: priests and consecrated persons, families, the young and the elderly, the rich and the poor, people of different cultures and languages.”

“The cathedral is a place of unity, and how much we need this unity in today’s world and in today’s Church. Too often we are divided – by history, by injustice, by misunderstanding. But here Christ the King, not with worldly power but with the power of love, builds us anew as one family of God’s children,” he added.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Southern Africa (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa) drew connections between the cathedral’s history and its present mission. Tracing the origins of the dream of the cathedral back to Bishop David O’Leary in 1937 and its consecration in 1960, he praised it as a living witness of faith, courage, and resilience.

 “For 65 years, this place has lived by the prayer of its people. Here, baptisms and marriages have been celebrated, here tears have been shed in moments of loss, here joyful songs have risen during feasts. Here the Church has stood with you – in times of suffering and in times of triumph.”

Archbishop Jagodziński also recalled the legacy of Saint John Paul II, who visited the Cathedral in 1995 and proclaimed “Africa shall live!” when he presented Ecclesia in Africa. Quoting the late Pope, he reminded the faithful that the Church in Africa is a Church of hope and resurrection, called to unite peoples and cultures through forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Nuncio stressed that this message is especially urgent today, as  “without forgiveness there is no future; without reconciliation there is no true peace.” He pointed to the examples of Saint John Paul II, who forgave his would-be assassin, and Nelson Mandela, who chose reconciliation after his release from Robben Island.

Marking the coincidence of this anniversary with the global Jubilee Year, the Apostolic Nuncio underlined that the Church is called to live as “pilgrims of hope,” building peace and unity in society.

Concluding his homily, Archbishop Jagodziński entrusted the Cathedral to Christ the King and the protection of Mary, Queen of Africa: “May this cathedral always remain a heart of unity and a beacon of hope for the whole Church in Johannesburg and throughout South Africa.”

He ended with the words of Saint John Paul II, spoken in the same cathedral 30 years ago: “The Church… will not fail to sustain and encourage you in your search for greater justice, for peace and reconciliation… Above all, she will not fail to offer you the inscrutable riches of Christ, the Light of the Nations.”