Roman Catholicism in South Africa

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. [ [http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/bfnarch/Catholics%20in%20RSA.htm Catholics in RSA] 1996 census statistics posted on the website of the Archdiocese of Bloemfontein.] 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 Afrikaans speakers, or South African Asians, who are mainly of Indian descent, is extremely small.

tructure and Leadership

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 Archdioceses are
*Bloemfontein
**Leadership: Archbishop Jabulani Adatus Nxumalo, O.M.I. appointed 10th October 2005
**Contains the following dioceses:
***Bethlehem
****Bishop Hubert Bucher appointed 27th March 1977.
***Keimoes-Upington - Upington, Northern Cape
****Bishop Edward Risi, O.M.I. appointed 14th October 2000.
***Kimberley
****Bishop Erwin Hecht, O.M.I. appointed 1st July 1974.
***Kroonstad
****Bishop Stephen Brislin, appointed 17th October 2006.
*Cape Town
**Leadership: Archbishop Lawrence Patrick Henry appointed 7th July 1990.
**Contains the following dioceses:
***Aliwal
****Vacant following the retirement on Bishop Fritz Lobinger on 29th April 2004.
***De Aar
****Bishop Joseph Potocnak, S.C.I. appointed 1st May 1992.
***Oudtshoorn
****Bishop Edward Adams appointed 2nd May 1983.
***Port Elizabeth
****Bishop Michael Coleman appointed 21st March 1986.
***Queenstown
****Bishop Herbert Lenhof, S.A.C. appointed 3rd February 1984.
*Durban
**Leadership: Wilfrid Fox Cardinal Napier, O.F.M. appointed 29th March 1992.
**Contains the following dioceses:
***Dundee
****Vacant since Bishop Michael Rowland, O.F.M. resigned on 30. September 2005.
***Eshowe
****Vacant since the death of Bishop Mansuet Dela Biyase on 1st July 2005.
***Kokstad
****Bishop William Slattery, O.F.M. appointed 19th February 1994.
***Marianhill
****Bishop Pius Mlungisi Dlungwana, appointed 3. June 2006.
***Umtata
****Bishop Oswald Hirmer, appointed 28th June 1997.
***Umzimkulu
****Vacant since the resignation of Bishop Gerard Ndlovu on 22nd August 1994.
*Johannesburg
**Leadership: Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, O.M.I. appointed 8th April 2003.
**Contains the following dioceses:
***Klerksdorp
****Bishop Zithulele Mvemve appointed 26th March 1994.
***Manzini (Geographically external to South Africa - In Swaziland)
****Bishop Louis Ndlovu, O.S.M. appointed 1st July 1985.
***Witbank
****Bishop Paul Khumalo, C.M.M. appointed 2nd October 2001.
*Pretoria
**Leadership: Archbishop George Daniel appointed 28th April 1975.
**Contains the following dioceses:
***Gaborone (Geographically external to South Africa - In Botswana)
****Bishop Boniface Setlalekgosi appointed 6th March 1982.
***Pietersburg
****Bishop Mogale Nkhumishe appointed 17th February 2000
***Rustenburg
****Bishop Kevin Dowling, C.SS.R. appointed 2nd December 1990.
***Tzaneen
****Bishop Hugh Patrick Slattery, M.S.C. appointed 22nd June 1984.

The sole Vicariate Apostolic is
*Ingwavuma
**Vacant since Bishop Michael O'Shea, O.S.M. (appointed as prefect of the Prefecture of Ingwavuma on 9th January 1976 and as Vicar Apostolic when Ingwavua was elevated to Vicariate Apostolic on 19th November 1990 on the same day) died on 30th May 2006.

There is also the
*Military Ordinariate of South Africa
**Leadership: Archbishop George Daniel appointed 26th March 1976.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference 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 Nuncio to South Africa is Archbishop James Patrick Green appointed to the post on 17th August 2006. He is also the Apostolic Nuncio to Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia as well as the Apostolic Delegate to Botswana.

People

Denis Hurley

Archbishop Denis Hurley stands perhaps as the most eminent cleric in South African Catholic history. He was appointed bishop at the age of 31 and was a leader in opposing apartheid. He was member of the Central Preparatory Committee of Vatican II.

A comprehensive biography can be found at Denis Hurley.

Wilfrid Napier

Wilfrid Napier is currently South Africa's only cardinal.

Owen McCann

Francis Pfanner

Education

ources

*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.