Catholics regional bishops meet in Gaborone

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) is in Gaborone for aweek-long plenary conference which began on the 10th ending today (Wednesday).

The SACBC conference is composed of 33 Bishops from Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland amongst them the highly-ranked Cardinal Wilfred Napier from Durban, South Africa.

Speaking to The Midweek Sun, Bishop of Gaborone, His Grace the Right Reverend, Bishop Valentine Seane said the conference started with a holy mass opening at the King Christ Cathedral Church in the Main Mall with Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Eric Molale welcoming the bishops to Botswana.

At the moment the president of the SACBC is Archbishop Steven Brislin- the Bishop of Cape Town, South Africa. He is being assisted by the first vice president, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Umtata, while second vice president is Bishop Seane. Equally in attendance is the Papal Nuncio (Representative of the Pope) His Excellency, Archbishop Peter Wells.

Seane said the SACBC holds two plenary conferences per annum in January and August. The first conference this year was held in Pretoria, South Africa.It is the first time that Botswana is hosting this conference. bishop Séance revealed that the SACBC’s aim is to provide the Bishops with facilities for consultation and united action in matters of common interest of the church and cooperation with other hierarchies.

“These matters are the fostering of priestly and religious vocations, the doctrinal, apostolic and pastoral formation of the clergy, religious and laity, the promotion of missionary activities, liturgy, catechetic, ecumenism, development, justice and reconciliation, social welfare, school, hospitals, and many other activities”, he said

Delivering a well moving SACB’s first vice president, Bishop SithembeleSepuka of Umtata delivered a sermon on “Feast of Lawrence” saying the opening of the plenary coincides with feast of St. Lawrence, the Deacon and early martyr of the church who was killed for his faith 258 years ago.