Bishops’ Plenary Opening Mass: “What is truth?”

by spotlight.africa 23 January 2018 1828(~4 min read)

The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) January Plenary opened with a mass celebrated by Conference President, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town on the evening of 23 January. Spotlight Africa was there to learn more about the Church's plans for the year ahead.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) January Plenary opened with Mass celebrated by Conference President, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town. Spotlight Africa was there to learn about the Church's plans for the year ahead. Images by Russell Pollitt.

The opening Mass was held on the evening of 23 January as the region's bishops gathered for the week-long plenary. The twice-annual gathering taking place in Pretoria will, on Sunday, include a celebration of the Church's 200 years in South Africa. Also in attendance was South Africa's Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Peter Wells.

Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Peter Wells attended the opening Mass. The nuncio is the diplomatic representative of the Holy See.

The homily was preached by Bishop Graham Rose of Dundee. He said that prophets make clear to us “the signs of the times.” Rose suggested that Pontius Pilate is a “prophet for our times” because he asks a question we need to ask “What is truth?” The bishop said that this question refers to the “great weakness of our times and the great challenge.”

He suggested we look at a random selection of things: like Tony Blair's spin-doctor's question a few years ago 'where is truth?' or the exposure of so many media organisations, like Rupert Murdock in the UK, or Bell-Pottinger and KPMG. “Where is the truth?” he asked. The bishop went on to say that just this week Facebook promised to ensure we are given the truth, “did they have to promise to give us the truth? Surely that was always presumed?” Rose said. “They are struggling and have created something that they are not convinced can give us the truth.” He went on to say that Pope Benedict had warned of this when he spoke of the “dictatorship of relativism.” He said: “That dictatorship has only got worse, the greed has only accumulated and it has become even more sinister and pernicious and destructive.” He went on to ask: “Is there not, in our world today, an unparalleled hunger for the truth?”

In a time of “fake news” we are good at “building the Tower of Babel,” he said, referring to the first reading of the mass. “Our world is increasingly turning back to Babel through whatever criteria we want to use, criteria of immigrants and citizens, criteria of rich and poor, criteria of different tribes, different languages, different races. We are excellent, we really are specialists in the study and the promulgation of Babel.”

The Church is needed now, more than ever, to be a beacon of truth. “As the father of lies gorges himself at a banquet of iniquity and falsity, a demonic feast, it is the Church that is the light of the nations,” Rose said.

You can listen to Bishop Rose's homily below:

Bishop Graham Rose of Dundee preached the homily

The bishops gather in plenary twice a year. Archbishop Brislin is set to formally open the plenary tomorrow with the official address in his capacity as president of the conference. His “state of the nation” address will set the tone for the week's discussions.

Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, president of the SACBC. The president serves for three years, renewable for a further term.

The aim of the gathering allows for consultation around potential united action from the Church and an opportunity to discuss the Church in Southern Africa. The bishops' conference is intended to promote religious vocations; to discuss doctrinal, apostolic and pastoral formation of the clergy, religious and laity; the promotion of missionary activity, catechetics, liturgy, the lay apostolate, ecumenism, development, justice and reconciliation, social welfare, schools, hospitals, the apostolate of the media and other means of social communication; and any other necessary activity.

Archbishop Brislin receives the offertory flanked by First Vice President Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha and Second Vice President Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo of Bloemfontein.

The Church in Southern Africa has a rich history. The 200 year celebrations this week will undoubtedly reflect on the role the Church has played in the country and the role it might continue to play especially on issues of justice and societal leadership.

Bishop Dabula Mpako of Queenstown and Bishop João Noé Rodrigues of Tzaneen are pictured during the Mass. They are chair and vice-chair of the Department for Clergy at the SACBC.

A joint bishops' Mass will be celebrated in Pretoria East’s Church of the Beatitudes in Zwavelpoort to mark the jubilee of the bicentenary of the Catholic Church in South Africa this Sunday. The Mass begins at 11:00.

This year the Church in South Africa celebrates 200 years.

Spotlight Africa will continue to cover the plenary of the country's bishops. Follow us on Twitter @spotlightAFR.

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* The opinions expressed here by Spotlight.Africa contributors and editors are their own and not official statements of the Society of Jesus in South Africa or of the Catholic Church unless explicitly stated.