Sudafrica
“Dobbiamo impegnarci a mettere fine alle violenze” dice il Presidente della SACBC
Fides

“Uno dei maggiori problemi che dobbiamo affrontare in Sudafrica sono le proteste violente. Penso che parte di questa violenza è dovuta alla nostra assenza come leader della Chiesa” ha affermato Sua Ecc. Mons. Sithembele Anton Sipuka, Vescovo di Umtata e Presidente della Southern Africa Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), nella sua prolusione all’Assemblea Plenaria della SACBC, che si è aperta ieri, 31 luglio, a Mariannhill.(...)

Sudafrica
Communications failures are ours says Archbishop
Spotlight Africa

(Ricardo da Silva, SJ) Archbishop Stephen Brislin gave his address as the leader of the Southern African bishops at their usual August plenary in KwaZulu Natal. This year’s meeting primarily intended to provide a space for the bishops to debate economic transformation and land reform and to make a statement on this important matter facing the region, especially in South Africa. However, as Ricardo da Silva SJ notes, a seemingly peripheral issue on the agenda, on how the bishops communicate to the outside world, formed the focus of the President’s address to the convened bishops. (...)

Sudafrica
Celebrating “Pope’s Day” in Southern Africa
Spotlight Africa

Since his appointment by Pope Francis as Apostolic Nuncio to five countries in Southern Africa, American Archbishop, Peter Wells reintroduced “Pope’s Day”. The annual celebration of the Vatican’s national day, on or near the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, began with a mass concelebrated by a number of bishops and local clergy from the region and was followed by a reception at the Vatican’s embassy. (...)

Vaticano
Le Lettere Credenziali degli Ambasciatori di Yemen, Nuova Zelanda, Swaziland, Azerbaijan, Ciad, Liechtenstein e India presso la Santa Sede. Discorso del Santo Padre
Sala stampa della Santa Sede

[Text: Italiano, English] 

Alle ore 10 di questa mattina, nella Sala Clementina del Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano, il Santo Padre Francesco ha ricevuto in Udienza gli Ambasciatori di Yemen, Nuova Zelanda, Swaziland, Azerbaijan, Ciad, Liechtenstein e India, in occasione della presentazione delle Lettere Credenziali.

Eccellenze,

porgo un caloroso benvenuto a tutti voi per la presentazione delle Lettere, che vi accreditano come Ambasciatori Straordinari e Plenipotenziari presso la Santa Sede da parte dei vostri rispettivi Paesi: Yemen, Nuova Zelanda, Swaziland, Azerbaijan, Ciad, Liechtenstein e India. Vi chiedo cortesemente di trasmettere ai Capi di Stato dei vostri Paesi i miei sentimenti di apprezzamento e stima, e di assicurarli delle mie preghiere per loro e per i popoli che essi servono.

Swaziland
Per la Chiesa in Swaziland la tratta si vince proteggendo le famiglie
L'Osservatore Romano

La lotta al traffico di esseri umani passa attraverso il sostegno alle famiglie, liberandole dalla miseria e dall’insicurezza. È questo il messaggio lanciato dal vescovo di Manzini, José Luis Gerardo Ponce de León, in occasione di una manifestazione contro la tratta alla quale hanno preso parte, insieme con esponenti della Chiesa cattolica, autorità politiche e militari dello Swaziland e rappresentanti diplomatici.

Swaziland
Coming together against Human Trafficking
Bhubesi

(José Luis Ponce de León IMC, Bishop of Manzini) Saturday 26 August saw government, members of the police and the army, the US Embassy and the Catholic Church among others, coming together against Human Trafficking. Below, my speech -- Your Excellency, the Honorable Prime Minister of Swaziland, Honourable Ministers (...)

Africa
Duecento anni di fede cristiana: Cape Town apre le celebrazioni
Fides

Il 7 giugno 1818 Papa Pio VII eresse il Vicariato apostolico del Capo di Buona Speranza e Territori adiacenti, stabilendo quindi la prima presenza ufficiale della Chiesa cattolica in Sudafrica. In duecento anni la Chiesa cattolica in Sudafrica, che ha avuto le sue origini nell’attuale Cape Town, è cresciuta e si è estesa: conta oggi 28 diocesi e un Vicariato apostolico riuniti nella Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), che include Sudafrica, Botswana e Swaziland. (...)

Swaziland
Welcoming Archbishop Peter Wells, Apostolic Nuncio to Swaziland
Bhubesi

On Wednesday 24, Archbishop Peter Wells arrived in Swaziland. He is the Apostolic Nuncio to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. Though not unusual to have the visit of a Nuncio, it is probably the first time that such a visit lasts for about a week. He has a very demanding program of visits to parishes and projects in different parts of our diocese and country. (...)

Swaziland
Swaziland Wants to Become the First Country in Africa to Outlaw Divorce
Newsweek

Swaziland’s powerful monarch wants to make his tiny country the first African nation to illegalize divorce. King Mswati III, 49, told religious leaders over the weekend that it was against Swazi culture to divorce, eNCA reported. The king said religious leaders should instruct citizens that, once they are married, the only way for the marriage to end is when one of the spouses dies. (...)

Swaziland
Government orders Swaziland's schools to teach only Christianity
Daily Trust

Schools have opened in Swaziland under a new government order to teach only Christianity, leading to criticism that it is fuelling intolerance towards other religions, AFP news agency reports. The education ministry last week instructed all head teachers to ensure that the syllabus would not mention any religion other than Christianity, it adds. (...) 

(fr) Swaziland: les écoles n'enseigneront que le christianisme  (BBC Afrique)

Swaziland
Laudato Si’: E-interview with Bishop José Luis Ponce de Leon, IMC.
Cynesa - Blog

The Inter-regional Meeting of Bishops in Southern Africa, (IMBISA) held its 11th plenary meeting in Maseru, Lesotho, from the 22nd to the 26th of November 2016, during which the theme “Empowering the laity for effective engagement in socio political and environmental issues: ‘Laudato Si’ as a point of reference”, was considered thoroughly. (...)

Africa
Southern Africa: 'Sadc Leaders Have Failed Us'
The Patriot - allAfrica

Just days before handing over the Chairmanship of the regional bloc - Southern African Development Community (SADC) - to Swaziland, President Ian Khama has come under heavy criticism from the church for failing to resolve the leadership crisis unraveling in Lesotho, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). (...)

Botswana
The Word that is mercy and hope (Archbishop Peter Wells)
Bhubesi

Last 11th August 2016, during our SACBC plenary session, we were addressed for the first time by the new Apostolic Nuncio to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland -- Thank you Archbishop Brislin, as President of the Conference, for your kind words of introduction. Your Eminence and my dear brother Bishops, Sr Hermenegild and Fr. Patrick. (...)

Sudafrica
SACBC Justice and Peace Commission calls for honest attempts to end student violence
SACBC

The Justice and Peace Commission for Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) is concerned about violence during student protests. The conference’s Justice and Peace Commission released a statement yesterday calling for church leaders “to be included in mediating campus deadlocks”. (...)

Africa
I vescovi dell’Africa australe: Giubileo sia anno di conversione e impegno sociale
SIR

(Davide Maggiore) All’Anno Santo della Misericordia, di cui Papa Francesco ha voluto anticipare l’apertura ufficiale proprio nel continente africano, i vescovi e le istituzioni ecclesiali di Sudafrica, Swaziland e Botswana hanno dedicato una serie di lettere pastorali. L’invito comune per i fedeli è a tradurre in pratica l’appello contenuto nel motto “misericordiosi come il Padre” (...)

Swaziland
Roman Catholic priest dies in car crash
Africa Star

Roman Catholic priest Angelo Ciccone died on Monday night after his vehicle was involved in an accident along the Manzini/Big Bend public road in Swaziland.According to media reports on Tuesday, Ciccone, originally from Naples in Italy, has spent over 60 years in Swaziland and was grantee for the Roman Catholic schools, a position he held shortly after his arrival in 1957. (...)

Africa
Pastoral letter of the SACBC bishops for the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
SACBC

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, When we speak about mercy what does it really mean? It should mean much more than some almsgiving, some act of charity to a beggar, although all of this can be part of it. First of all we have to look at the source of true and everlasting mercy: God, the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (...)

Swaziland
Preghiera e solidarietà della Chiesa per il tragico incidente delle ragazze
Fides

Preghiere giornaliere fino al 6 settembre per commemorare le giovani vittime dell’incidente stradale accaduto il 28 agosto nello Swaziland. Lo ha deciso Mons. José Luis Ponce de León, IMC, Vescovo di Manzini. Secondo lo Swaziland Solidarity Network, nello scontro avvenuto sull'autostrada che collega Mbabane a Manzini almeno 38 ragazze sono morte (...)

Sudafrica
Our solidarity with Lesotho. SACBC solidarity message to the people of Lesotho
Bhubesi

We, the Bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) gathered here in Mariannhill this August 2015 wish to express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters from the Kingdom of Lesotho. We would like to express that Lesotho is not alone, the Bishops and the Catholic community are with you in this time of need. (...) 

In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Lesotho (Bhubesi)

Sudafrica
SACBC, a historical plenary session
bhubesi.blogspot.it

(Bp Bhubesi) For the last two years, the bishops of the SACBC (Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference) have been working on restructuring the Conference. One of the fruits of this process is that we now dedicate less time to reports and more to reflect together. This became clear this morning (...) 

In prayer at the beginning of our meeting