A Faith Reflection on the arrival of the new Archbishop

3 February 2026. The “Neck” of the Church

A Faith Reflection on the arrival of the New Archbishop. This is an addendum to the faith reflection I posted on Facebook earlier today.

On the feast of St Blaise when traditionally we bless throats, I thought that seeing that the throat is synonymous with the neck, this gives an opportunity for another thought. In the OT the throat/neck is synonymous with life. To seize the enemy’s throat is to seize the enemy’s life. To crush the neck was to crush the life.

The Bridge Between Head and Body: In the mystical body of Christ, Jesus is the Head and the faithful are the body. The “neck” is the vital conduit that allows the life, and the breath to flow. The neck allows the Head to animate the rest of the body. An Archbishop acts as this spiritual “neck”, ensuring that the Word of God (the Head) flows into the life and actions of the local Church (the Body).

A Conduit for Breath and Voice: The throat is where we draw breath and find our voice. As we receive the blessing of the throat on the feast of St Blaise, we pray for healthy throats to “pronounce our prayers and to praise God’s holy name”. Similarly, the Archbishop’s primary task is to be a pastor and teacher, providing the “breath” of the Holy Spirit to the community and giving voice to the Gospel in our modern world.

Healing the “Choking Points”: St Blaise is famous for rescuing a small boy from choking on a fish bone. In any Diocese, community or family, there can be “choking points” such as conflicts, apathy, or scandals that prevent the grace of Christ from reaching all His people. We prepare for a new Archbishop in the sure hope that, through his leadership, these blockages will be cleared, allowing the Church to breathe freely again.

The Sacrifice of the Neck: St Blaise was a martyr who gave his life (his own neck) for the faith. Our new Archbishop shows a similar imitation of Christ, sacrificing comforts and personal desires to serve as the servant of the servants of God.

Bishop Sylvester David OMI
VG/Auxiliary Bishop of Cape Town