Roman Catholicism in South Africa
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church in South Africa is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
and curia
in Rome
. There are 26 dioceses and archdioceses, plus an apostolic vicariate.
There are approximately 3.3 million Catholics in South Africa - just over 6% of the total population. 2.7 million are of various black African ethnic groups, such as Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho. Coloured
and white South Africans each account for roughly 300,000. Most white Catholics are English speaking, and the majority are descended from Irish
immigrants. Many others are Portuguese
settlers who left Angola
and Mozambique
after they became independent in the 1970s, or their children. The proportion of Catholics among White Afrikaans
speakers, or South African Asians, who are mainly of India
n descent, is extremely small.
s are—
The sole Vicariate Apostolic is
There is also the
is a collegial body approved by the Holy See and has as its particular aim:
to provide the bishops of the territories mentioned above with facilities for consultation and united action in such matters of common interest to the Church as consultation and co-operation with other hierarchies; the fostering of priestly and religious vocations; the doctrinal, apostolic and pastoral formation of the clergy, religious and laity; the promotion of missionary activity, catechetics, liturgy, lay apostolate, ecumenism, development, justice and reconciliation, social welfare, schools, hospitals, the apostolate of the press, radio, television, and other means of social communication; and any other necessary activity.
to South Africa is Archbishop James Patrick Green appointed to the post on 17 August 2006. He is also the Apostolic Nuncio to Lesotho
, Swaziland
and Namibia
as well as the Apostolic Delegate to Botswana
.
and a member of the Central Preparatory Committee of Vatican II, stands perhaps as the most eminent Catholic cleric in South African history. He was appointed bishop at the age of 31 and was a leader in opposing the apartheid regime. Like him, many senior officials within the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa opposed apartheid, but a group of conservative white Catholics formed the South African Catholic Defence League to condemn the church's political involvement and, in particular, to denounce school integration.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. There are 26 dioceses and archdioceses, plus an apostolic vicariate.
There are approximately 3.3 million Catholics in South Africa - just over 6% of the total population. 2.7 million are of various black African ethnic groups, such as Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho. Coloured
Coloured
In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
and white South Africans each account for roughly 300,000. Most white Catholics are English speaking, and the majority are descended from Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigrants. Many others are Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
settlers who left Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
after they became independent in the 1970s, or their children. The proportion of Catholics among White Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
speakers, or South African Asians, who are mainly of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent, is extremely small.
The Areas of Jurisdiction
The Catholic Church in South Africa consists of five Archdioceses (Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesberg, Pretoria), 21 Dioceses, 1 Vicariate Apostolic and the Military Ordinariate. The four Ecclesiastical provinceEcclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
s are—
- Bloemfontein
- Leadership: Archbishop Jabulani Adatus Nxumalo, O.M.I. appointed 10 October 2005
- Contains the following dioceses:
- Bethlehem
- Bishop Jan de Groef, M. Afr.White FathersThe missionary society known as "White Fathers" , after their dress, is a Roman Catholic Society of Apostolic Life founded in 1868 by the first Archbishop of Algiers, later Cardinal Lavigerie, as the Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa of Algeria, and is also now known as the Society of the...
appointed 31 December 2008.
- Bishop Jan de Groef, M. Afr.
- Keimoes-Upington - Upington, Northern CapeUpington, Northern CapeUpington is a town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was named after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by...
- Bishop Edward Risi, O.M.I. appointed 14 October 2000.
- Kimberley
- Bishop Erwin Hecht, O.M.I. appointed 1 July 1974.
- Kroonstad
- sede vacanteSede vacanteSede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
- sede vacante
- Bethlehem
- Cape TownRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Cape TownThe Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cape Town is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa...
- Leadership: Archbishop Stephen Brislin appointed 18 December 2009.
- Contains the following dioceses:
- Aliwal
- Bishop Michael Wüstenberg appointed 24 February 2008.
- De Aar
- Bishop Joseph Potocnak, S.C.I. appointed 1 May 1992.
- Oudtshoorn
- Bishop Francisco Fortunato De Gouveia appointed 28. May 2010.
- Port Elizabeth
- Bishop Michael Coleman appointed 21 March 1986.
- Queenstown
- Bishop Herbert Lenhof, S.A.C. appointed 3 February 1984.
- Aliwal
- DurbanArchdiocese of DurbanThe Archdiocese of Durban presently under the leadership of Wilfrid Napier began as the Vicariate Apostolic of Natal which was erected on 15 November 1850 and placed under the leadership of Marie Jean Francois Allard, O.M.I. in 1851...
- Leadership: Cardinal Wilfrid NapierWilfrid NapierWilfrid Fox Napier, OFM is a South African cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Durban, South Africa.-Biography:...
, appointed 29 March 1992. - Contains the following dioceses:
- Dundee
- Bishop Graham RoseGraham Rose (bishop)Thomas Graham Rose is a South African prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who currently serves as Bishop of Dundee.-Biography:Graham Rose was born in Evander, and studied under the Christian Brothers in Kimberley...
appointed June 13, 2008.
- Bishop Graham Rose
- Eshowe
- Bishop Thaddaeus Kumalo appointed 11 March 2008.
- Kokstad
- Bishop William Slattery, O.F.M. appointed 19 February 1994.
- Marianhill
- Bishop Pius Mlungisi Dlungwana, appointed 3. June 2006.
- Umtata
- Bishop Anton Sipuka appointed 8 February 2008.
- Umzimkulu
- Bishop Stanisław Jan Dziuba, O.S.P.P.E.The Order of Saint Paul the First HermitThe Pauline Fathers a Hungarian order of the Roman Catholic Church, are more formally known as The Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit .This name is derived from the hermit Saint Paul of Thebes , canonized in 491 by Pope Gelasius I...
appointed 31 December 2008.
- Bishop Stanisław Jan Dziuba, O.S.P.P.E.
- Dundee
- Leadership: Cardinal Wilfrid Napier
- Johannesburg
- Leadership: Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, O.M.I. appointed 8 April 2003.
- Contains the following dioceses:
- Klerksdorp
- Bishop Zithulele Mvemve appointed 26 March 1994.
- Manzini (Geographically external to South Africa - In SwazilandSwazilandSwaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
)- Bishop Louis Ndlovu, O.S.M. appointed 1 July 1985.
- Witbank
- Vacant.
- Klerksdorp
- Pretoria
- Leadership: Sede VacanteSede vacanteSede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
.- EmeritusEmeritusEmeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Archbishop Paul Khumalo, C.M.M. appointed 24 November 2008, resigned 15 December 2009.
- Emeritus
- Contains the following dioceses:
- Gaborone (Geographically external to South Africa - In BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
)- Bishop Boniface Setlalekgosi appointed 6 March 1982.
- Pietersburg
- Bishop Mogale Nkhumishe appointed 17 February 2000
- Rustenburg
- Bishop Kevin Dowling, C.SS.R. appointed 2 December 1990.
- Tzaneen
- Bishop Hugh Patrick Slattery, M.S.C. appointed 22 June 1984.
- Gaborone (Geographically external to South Africa - In Botswana
- Leadership: Sede Vacante
The sole Vicariate Apostolic is
- IngwavumaVicariate Apostolic of IngwavumaThe Apostolic Vicariate of Ingwavuma is a Roman Catholic apostolic Vicariate located in the city of Ingwavuma in South Africa.-History:* November 12, 1962: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Ingwavuma from the Diocese of Eshowe and Diocese of Manzini...
- Bishop José Luís Gerardo Ponce de León, I.M.C. appointed November 24, 2008.
There is also the
- Military Ordinariate of South Africa
- Leadership: Archbishop Paul Khumalo, C.M.M. appointed 24 November 2008.
The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference
The Southern African Catholic Bishops ConferenceSouthern African Catholic Bishops Conference
The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference is an episcopal conference consisting of all the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland, and their equivalents under canon law...
is a collegial body approved by the Holy See and has as its particular aim:
to provide the bishops of the territories mentioned above with facilities for consultation and united action in such matters of common interest to the Church as consultation and co-operation with other hierarchies; the fostering of priestly and religious vocations; the doctrinal, apostolic and pastoral formation of the clergy, religious and laity; the promotion of missionary activity, catechetics, liturgy, lay apostolate, ecumenism, development, justice and reconciliation, social welfare, schools, hospitals, the apostolate of the press, radio, television, and other means of social communication; and any other necessary activity.
Nuncio
The Apostolic NuncioNuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to South Africa is Archbishop James Patrick Green appointed to the post on 17 August 2006. He is also the Apostolic Nuncio to Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
and Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
as well as the Apostolic Delegate to Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
.
Catholic Church and apartheid
Denis Hurley, Archbishop of DurbanArchdiocese of Durban
The Archdiocese of Durban presently under the leadership of Wilfrid Napier began as the Vicariate Apostolic of Natal which was erected on 15 November 1850 and placed under the leadership of Marie Jean Francois Allard, O.M.I. in 1851...
and a member of the Central Preparatory Committee of Vatican II, stands perhaps as the most eminent Catholic cleric in South African history. He was appointed bishop at the age of 31 and was a leader in opposing the apartheid regime. Like him, many senior officials within the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa opposed apartheid, but a group of conservative white Catholics formed the South African Catholic Defence League to condemn the church's political involvement and, in particular, to denounce school integration.
People
- Wilfrid NapierWilfrid NapierWilfrid Fox Napier, OFM is a South African cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Durban, South Africa.-Biography:...
is currently South Africa's only cardinal. - Owen McCannOwen McCannOwen McCann , was a South African cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Archbishop of Cape Town from 1951 to 1984, he was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965.-Biography:...
(1907-1994), President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops ConferenceSouthern African Catholic Bishops ConferenceThe Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference is an episcopal conference consisting of all the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland, and their equivalents under canon law...
(SACBC). - Franz PfannerFranz PfannerFranz Pfanner was an Austrian Trappist monk, founder of Mariannhill Abbey in South Africa.-Life:...
Education
- Roman Catholic schools in South Africa
- Roman Catholic secondary schools in South Africa
- St Augustine College of South AfricaSt Augustine College of South AfricaSt Augustine College of South Africa is a private Catholic University. The institution opened in July 1999; it is based in the Johannesburg suburb of Victory Park. It is named for St Augustine of Hippo one of the earliest and greatest Christian scholars of Africa, and indicating the University’s...
Sources
- http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/country/za.html provides links to the structure and personnel history. Used heavily for diocesan and personnel information in the section on structure and leadership.
External links
- http://www.sacbc.org.za/ is the website of the South African Bishops' Conference.
- http://www.catholic-ct.org.za/ is the website of the Archdiocese of Cape Town.
- http://www.staugustine.ac.za/ is the South African Catholic University.