The Archdiocesan Theology Course will begin again in February 2025. This will be Year One of what has been the three-year cycle of theology lectures in the programme, and as such it gives a good overview of the whole spectrum of theology.

This course is aimed at those who are involved in parish ministry, particularly Catechism and RCIA teaching, but it is also suited for those involved in the different aspects of the Liturgy and those who assist in pastoral work such as counselling, marriage preparation and baptism preparation. The course is also ideal for those who are seeking to broaden and deepen their understanding of the Catholic Faith. Those who are at the very beginning stages of discerning a vocation to the permanent diaconate are also encouraged to participate in the course. This course will equip participants for more effective pastoral ministry in their home parishes.

The year’s course is R800, and registration is required by 1st February. For further information, and to register, please click HERE

Below is Cardinal Stephen Brislin’s homily at the opening of the Jubilee Year in St Mary’s Cathedral, Cape Town.

OPENING OF JUBILEE YEAR 2025
31 DECEMBER 2024, OUR LADY OF THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT CATHEDRAL

The opening words of the Gospel of St John makes reference to the Old Testament. He starts with the words, “In the beginning” taking our minds to the very beginning of creation when God shaped the world and gave life to all that lives. In fact, St John is taking us back to the “beginning” which is prior to the creation of the world saying, “He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be”. He is from the beginning because he was and is God. He is also the source of “being” the source of life, for all things came to be through him. He is the agent of creation through whom God the Father created the world. The life he gave is the light that shines in the darkness and which darkness cannot overpower. The aim of the Gospel writers, as with the others authors of Scripture, is to give meaning to life, to lead us to God, so that we can know who God is, and to understand our relationship with God. But how can the inexpressible be expressed in words? The words, the message, must lead us into an encounter and a relationship with the Word, who is Christ. Our understanding of God, our finding meaning in God, is experiential by its very nature. Saul undoubtedly had heard the words the teachings about Jesus, but it was the experience on the road to Damascus, the encounter with the resurrected, living Christ, that changed his life and brought him to faith and action.

We are people of faith. We have and do encounter Christ in our lives. We have a relationship with him, and through him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we know the Father. Yet we continually need renewal, a time for reflecting on our lives, of self-scrutiny in the light of the Gospel. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is our frequent way of doing that. Every so often, we need to re-look at ourselves in a deeper and more communal way, not simply in a personal way, but to examine ourselves as a people called to be the sons and daughters of God, to reflect on how we live our communal Christian life and how we can, in an individualistic and cyber world, strengthen the bonds of community in our parishes, archdiocese, and as Church. The jubilee year has deep Biblical roots and is intended to be a year of liberation, forgiveness and renewal. In the Book of Leviticus, chapter 25, we read that the jubilee year was ordained by God so that Israelites could return to their roots, liberate their servants and restore what had been lost. It was a year to rejoice in God’s mercy and justice, and to embark on the journey of transformation by returning to what is right and just, and restoring our relationships with others and with creation.

The jubilee year invites us to return to our roots, the foundation of our faith and the reason for our hope. In recalling God’s abundant mercy and the grace that he has poured into our hearts, we become inspired to throw off our lethargy, our indifference to the suffering and evil in the world, to cast aside feelings of despair and impotence, in order that we may look beyond all the troubles and anxieties that we experience, to look beyond the darkness of the Cross, and to recognize the light which shines dispersing the darkness and which the darkness cannot overcome. For the light came into the world and is still present in the world. Christ, who took on human flesh to live among us, has not deserted us. He is still present. It is for we, to be strong enough in our faith, to recognize in the signs of the times, no matter how terrible they may be, the signs of hope for the world and for mankind. Our hope lies in Christ, who calls us to renewal, to return to our roots, the basics of our faith in terms of moral living, of uprightness in our dealings with others, in living the truth, in being reconcilers and peace-makers, in seeking justice and inclusion for the marginalized and rejected. Our faith calls on us to be courageous in the face of the darkness and the evil and never to shrink back because of it. Time and again we read in the Scriptures, “Be strong, stand firm”, typified by the words of Joshua: “I hereby command you: be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Our strength and courage is rooted when we are faithful to the whole law and, in the words of Joshua, to swerve “neither to the right nor to the left” of it (Joshua 1:7). The fullness of the law is found in Jesus Christ who taught us that the greatest commandment, the greatest law, is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls and minds, and to love our neighbour as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39).

The custom of opening the Holy Door at the beginning of the jubilee year is a reminder to all of us to open the doors of our hearts. To open them to the grace of God, to open them that they may be transformed into hearts of flesh and not of stone. To open them by letting go of past hurts, by acknowledging the hurt we have caused and seeking reconciliation within our families, among our friends and in society. Opening our hearts means being bold in our faith in the the sight of injustices, never allowing fear to cause us to be silent in the face of evil. Opening our hearts is to be merciful and spiritually generous in reaching out to those in need, those abandoned or marginalized through poverty or stigma. In short, opening our hearts means making ourselves vulnerable and allowing God to renew our faith and to mould us into his image as his son or daughter.

In the First Reading of today’s Mass St John reminds us that we have been anointed by the Holy One. Through our baptism we continue to live and witness to the Gospel, the Gospels which trace their beginning to Creation and rooted in the law and prophets of Israel. This is the history of our salvation – the Gospel has a beginning, but its end has not yet come. It continues to be lived and proclaimed through us. We are part of this epic history of salvation and the Gospel continues to be written in our lives. We have much to offer a world that is often tired, uncertain and directionless. We have within ourselves the light given to us by Christ, a light that does not eliminate all the darkness but is not overcome by the darkness. The light offers hope that the world can be, and indeed will be, a different place, transformed and transfigured through Christ. We should not shrink back because of our lack of merit, our own sinfulness, inadequacies and failures, our own fears or anxieties, from sharing with others the reason for our hope, and giving to others the encouragement, support and accompaniment that they long for, so that we may be bound together, journeying, as pilgrims of hope, to the eternal glory of God.

Attached below is Pope Francis’s message for the World Day of Peace on 1st January 2025. The theme is: “Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace.”

The address was given at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council meeting on 9 November 2024.

“There is an appointed time for everything” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

On 28 October 2024, we received the news of the transfer of Cardinal Brislin from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Although such transfers are part of Church life, the news left us with heavy hearts and with a visceral discomfort. There was unease. It was difficult to articulate exactly what one felt because in many cases the right words could not be found. And even if someone could articulate it, how does one speak with a lump in the throat?

We now find ourselves in a liminal space i.e. in a state of transition. But liminal spaces are not only negative because an essential dimension of the liminal space is that if affords us an opportunity for transformation. For example, I can selfishly say, and in fact have said, that the Cardinal and I have worked collegially for more than five years and have worked well together. But both His Eminence and I know that this transfer is not about us and our working together. It is about the Church and the opportunities of living the faith in different contexts.

Each one of us in the Archdiocese needs to answer the question: “What can I do to make the transition more meaningful for our local Church, for me personally, for the Cardinal, and also for his successor?” In this regard we will do well to remember that a liminal space is not the same as a vacuum. It is a vibrant space calling us to rise above self and to embrace a new reality. One of the opportunities presented to us at this time is the opportunity to examine our spirituality. Can my spirituality embrace the restlessness that is natural to this time of transition?

Biblically there is a spirituality for the restless. Think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Better still, read the text. It is in Lk 22:39-46 and its parallels. The response to the discomfort is twofold viz. prayer, and surrender to the will of the Father. In Religious and Priestly life this is called obedience. Another text that is relevant here is Jn 12:27. “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?- Father, save me from this hour: but for this purpose that came I to this hour”. Jesus’ soul is disturbed. That word for “soul” indicates the deepest seat of emotions. This is what is meant by the term “visceral discomfort” used at the start of this reflection. The word translated “troubled” means to be agitated and disturbed. Notice that in this text too, the answer is surrender to the will of God. The Cardinal’s response when the announcement was made was simply: “I am a missionary”.

This is a rather difficult time – we are literally in-between times during this transition. We will experience a restlessness. That is natural. There is after all a season for everything (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). But this also presents us with an opportunity to develop a spirituality of restlessness. We often think of the calm nature of prayer and at times even use calming music during our meditation times but restlessness, helplessness, and even despair ought to be natural to our spirituality simply because these aspects are inescapable and necessary parts of our human existence. Meditate on the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. As we embrace this difficult time let us remember that there is a time for everything under the sun. And right now is a time of uncertainty, restlessness, and even fear.

May God strengthen us all during these difficult days. Let us embrace the virtue of hope and accompany the Cardinal with much prayer during what for him too, is a difficult transition into new surroundings.

Bishop Sylvester David OMI
Vicar General/Auxiliary Bishop

It was announced yesterday, 28th October 2024, that Pope Francis has transferred Cardinal Stephen Brislin to Johannesburg as Metropolitan Archbishop. Please see the letter below from the SACBC Secretary General, as well as the letter from the Cardinal’s office regarding other Archdiocesan transfers and appointments.

LETTER FROM THE CARDINAL’S OFFICE

LETTER FROM THE SACBC SECRETARY GENERAL

As we end this Season of Creation, Bishop Sylvester David has asked that we continue to keep creation foremost in our minds throughout the year by using the Creation Grace (before or after meals) below.