The recent pastoral statement issued by the Bishops of the Durban Metropolitan Province has generated significant discussion within the Church in Southern Africa. The decree, which calls on priests and religious to refrain from practising Ubungoma (traditional healing) while exercising their ministry, has prompted both affirmation and misunderstanding.

In an interview with the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Communication Office, Archbishop Siegfried Mandla Jwara of the Durban Archdiocese explained that the decision came after the Metropolitan Bishops of Durban (Eshowe, Dundee, Kokstad, Mariannhill, Umzimkulu, the Vicariate of Ingwavuma) reflected on the growing concern about clergy participating in practices that merge traditional belief systems with Catholic ministry.

“We discussed the problem that we have—some priests who are practising Ubungoma, believing in the ancestors,” Archbishop Jwara said. “We issued a statement to say that they should desist from this because a priest is only there in persona Christi. You can’t be a priest representing Christ and at the same time representing your ancestors.”

Archbishop Jwara – a member of the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries (CMM) – noted that while the statement had received broad support from the faithful, it also drew criticism from some who felt that the Church was opposing African identity.

“We are very clear that we are not against African culture,” Archbishop Jwara emphasised. “In each culture, there is something good and also something that needs purification. We keep what is good.”

The SACBC Second Vice President clarified that the bishops’ intention was not to reject African values or customs, but to ensure that faith remains centred on Christ. “People cannot practise Ubungoma right in church as priests while they are representing Christ,” he said. “That’s what the statement was all about—not that we are fighting against African culture.”

Archbishop Jwara further explained that the decree does not interfere with legitimate cultural or family traditions, addressing public confusion that the statement might forbid common practices. “Nothing has changed,” he said. “We are just targeting priests who practise Ubungoma while ministering as priests.”

Responding to questions about individuals who feel called to both the priesthood and traditional healing, Archbishop Jwara said that discernment is necessary. “It depends on when the second calling comes—before or after ordination?” he questioned. “If it is after, then the person has to choose: is he for Christ or for the ancestors?” He added that while African spirituality honours the ancestors, it does not involve worshipping them.

“Africans do not worship ancestors. That was always a misunderstanding, especially by the early missionaries. But when one works as a sangoma and never mentions Christ, that becomes a problem.”

He also acknowledged that the decree applies to religious sisters and consecrated persons, even though each congregation has its own structures of governance. “The statement will help everyone,” he said, “because it offers clarity about what is expected in the life of consecrated persons.”

In a separate interview, the SACB First Vice President provided context for the Durban Metropolitan’s action. Archbishop Zolile Peter Mpambani affirmed that metropolitan provinces and dioceses have the authority to make decisions on specific pastoral matters but emphasised that such decisions must remain consistent with the direction of the national Conference.

“A diocese or metropolitan can make its own decisions,” he said, “but these decisions need to be congruent with what the SACBC is working towards.”

The member of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCI) clarified that the decree from the Durban Metropolitan was directed primarily at priests and religious, not the laity. “It was a revision of what was given long ago—to remind them, because there are still priests and religious who continue to practise as sangomas, which is not allowed by the Church,” he explained. “You cannot have these two going together.”

Archbishop Mpambani added that the SACBC’s ongoing study on Ubungoma will, in due course, offer guidance regarding the participation of lay faithful. “The Durban Metropolitan was under pressure to act,” he said. “For the laity, that guidance will come from the Conference once the research is completed.”

Both Archbishops underscored that the Catholic Church in Africa values the richness of African culture and spirituality. The concern, they emphasised, lies not in rejecting tradition but in ensuring that the Christian faith remains clear and undivided. As Archbishop Jwara concluded, “We are not against African culture. We are only asking that our faith in Christ remain undivided.”