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29 CATHOLIC BISHOPS EXPECTED IN JANUARY

23/11/2013 08:30:00 BY KWANELE DLAMINI

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MANZINI – About 29 bishops are expected in the country next January to grace the Roman Catholic Church centenary celebrations.

The acting Bishop of the Manzini Diocese, Reverend Jose Luis Ponce de Leon said these bishops were members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC).

“Let me explain this, in Swaziland we are one Diocese and we belong to the SACBC which caters for three countries Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland which has about 29 bishops.
“And every year, in January and August we hold plenary sessions. Normally, we do it in Pretoria in January and then the other in KwaZulu Natal in August.
“But because of this event, the bishops decided to come to Swaziland for the January session,” he said.

He added that the SACBC was part of a big structure called Inter-meeting of Bishops in Southern Africa, which was made up of nine countries.

Celebrations

Delegates from these nine countries, he said would be joining Swaziland in the celebrations.
Reverend Ponce de Leon said the celebrations would be held on January 26, 2014 at the Bosco Skills Centre.
Initially, Reverend Ponce de Leon said the event was supposed to be held on January 27 but had to be shifted a day back because it would be on a Monday.
Recounting, Rev. Ponce de Leon, who is also known in the church as the Apostolic Administrator, said on January 27, 1914, the first four Catholic missionaries arrived in Swaziland.

He said these were members of the Order of the Servant Mary, who were coming from Europe.
These missionaries were Father Gratl, Father Bellez, Father Francis Mayr and Brother Oberleithner.
The Apostolic Administrator, who took over from the late Bishop Ncamiso Ndlovu, said: “These missionaries met on January 27, 1914 in Mpumalanga before travelling to Swaziland.

“They travelled to Mbabane. And after a few days, they bought a plot in Mbabane, which is today known as Mater Dolorosa.”
Unfortunately, Rev. Ponce de Leon said father Mayr was killed in 1915 near Matsapha by a man who was identified as Mfunu Mdluli. Mdluli was later sentenced to hang for the murder.
He added that the Manzini Diocese was born in 1951.

Good Samaritan

The acting bishop said the centenary celebration could be identified with the parable of the good Samaritan.
He narrated that there was a man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit internal life.
“Jesus responded and said, ‘Love God with all your heart, soul and strength. And further love your neighbour as yourself.

“He then asked again, ‘who is my neighbour.’ Jesus did not answer the question quickly but he tells the parable we are all familiar with.
“I think the parable was about a man who was going from Jerusalem to Jericho. As he was going out of the temple back home, I think this is the image of the Catholic Church.

It is not just about the time we are in the temple, but what is happening when we leave the temple, going back home. Each time we identify a need as a church, we need to stop and bend down and try to answer to every challenge the best way we can,” he explained.

Rev. Ponce de Leon said as they celebrate, the church members should remember the people who are employed by institutions established by the church.
He mentioned that he requested every parish in Swaziland to put down in writing what they were planning to do during the centenary celebration.

Catholics against abortion, same sex

MANZINI – The Roman Catholic Church is totally against abortion and same sex marriage.

This was disclosed by the Acting Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon in an interview, yesterday.
“Regarding abortion, the policy and principles of the church has been the defence and dignity of life. And that applies from every level from beginning to end,” he pointed out.

He said the church wanted to be there especially for single mothers who go through desperate situations.
In his life, Reverend Ponce de Leon said he had noted that women who had aborted felt like they lacked peace in their hearts.
“The church is against abortion because we support the gift of life,” the acting bishop said.
On the same sex marriage, he mentioned that the Catholic Church does not support such.

He mentioned that the church believed in one man, one woman marriage, but no other form of marriage.
Last week in Botswana, Reverend Ponce de Leon said the issue of same sex marriage was raised during a meeting themed, ‘family’.
However, he did not elaborate on the outcome of the meeting.

In September this year, Pope Francis was quoted in a Italian Jesuit journal saying the Catholic Church must shake off an obsession with teachings on abortion, contraception and homosexuality and become more merciful or risk the collapse of its entire moral edifice ‘like a house of cards’.