Manzini, 24 September, 2025 / 10:40 PM
The 14th Plenary Assembly of the Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) and the Golden Jubilee of the nine-member region has opened with a call to “renew hope and trust” amid “finite disappointments.”
In his homily during the opening Mass of the event in the Catholic Diocese of Manzini, Stephen Cardinal Brislin of South Africa’s Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg gave thanks for IMBISA’s five decades of journeying with the people of Southern Africa, calling it a time filled with both struggles and blessings.
“We remember 50 years in which we have shared the dreams and the disappointments, the joys and the sorrows, the excruciating times of violence and the blessed moments of peace,” Cardinal Brislin said during the Wednesday, September 24 Eucharistic celebration that was held at Esibayeni Lodge, Eswatini.
He added, “We also acknowledge the unfailing presence and working of God’s Holy Spirit among us.”
The Local Ordinary of Johannesburg Archdiocese, who also serves as the president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) described this jubilee moment as a weaving together of history, threads of pain, and of hope into a “season of hope,” echoing the words of St Paul in Romans: hope that will never disappoint us.
Drawing on the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr., he reminded the Church, “We must accept finite disappointments but never lose infinite hope.”
Cardinal Brislin pointed to widespread corruption, unemployment, poverty, violence in homes and schools, and the erosion of family life in the IMBISA region.
Beyond the region, he also highlighted the tragedies unfolding around the world, from the war in Ukraine to starvation in South Sudan, to the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the suffering of people in Gaza.
“It is a sad hour, yet we gather rejoicing in the promise of salvation, even as we are mindful of our own distortions as Church,” the Cardinal said.
He echoed late Pope Francis’ reminders of sins within the Church itself, including the abuse crisis, exclusion of women and youth and the temptation to use doctrine as a weapon rather than a source of healing.
Despite these “finite disappointments,” Cardinal Brislin insisted that Christians are never without hope.
The Church, he said, has been entrusted with the responsibility to become “custodians of hope.”
“This means recognizing that believers are not passive bystanders, but people gifted by God with the ability to bring change,” Cardinal Brislin said.
Drawing inspiration from the Book of Esther, he said God has prepared the Church “for an hour such as this.”
“We cannot slack in building faith communities that unshackle minds and release both wisdom and skill,” he said, adding, “Together, synodally, we must build a Church where the poor feel at home, where dignity is restored, and where people can become the best versions of themselves.”
He urged Catholic Bishops, Priests and lay people to embrace trust in God’s providence and to step beyond their comfort zones, leaving behind the old and opening themselves to new inspirations.
Rebuilding trust
Cardinal Brislin went on to underscore the need to rebuild trust, something he said has been damaged by failures in both society and the Church.
Rebuilding trust, he observed, requires honesty, transparency, compassion and a sincere renewal of spirit among Church leaders.
Trust, Cardinal Brislin said, is “a foundational pillar of unity,” without which the Church cannot fulfill its mission.
From words to action
Cardinal Brislin also warned that the credibility of the Church depends on the alignment between its message and its actions.
Quoting the Letter of James: “faith without action is dead”, he reminded IMBISA members that their mission must be to “embody hope through tangible acts of justice, compassion, and service.”
One example he gave was the recent commissioning of digital missionaries in the region, a sign that the Church is stepping into new contexts and embracing fresh ways of proclaiming the Gospel.
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“Never be afraid to entrust an unknown future to a known God,” he said, urging the regional Church to anchor itself in faith as it looks to the next 50 years.
Stepping into the future with hope
Cardinal Brislin called on the Church in the region to “be bold in faith, courageous in action, and steadfast in hope, so that the Kingdom of God may become visible in communities across the region.”
“May we, too, soar like eagles, run and not grow weary and walk and not grow faint,” he implored, inviting the Bishops and faithful present to embrace the jubilee spirit of renewal.
According to the Local Ordinary of Eswatini’s Catholic Diocese of Manzini, which is hosting the the September 24 – 29 double celebration of 4th Plenary Assembly and Golden Jubilee, the official opening session was set for Thursday, September 25, after which the working sessions would begin and continue intensively until Saturday evening.
Bishop José Luís Gerardo Ponce de León during a press briefing on the IMBISA Jubilee on August 27 said the people of God in Eswatini’s only Catholic Diocese “are very excited” to host the six-day event.
The final day of the event, he said , would take “a different tone, one of prayer, the central act of worship, the celebration of Holy Mass,” similar to the launch of the Golden Jubilee preparations in May 2024.
“At that time, we committed ourselves to accompany this entire process in prayer. Accordingly, we will also close the gathering in prayer,” said the Bishop of the only Catholic Diocese in the Southern African landlocked nation, noting that there will be no Mass in Parishes on September 29.
On that day, he said, the Eucharistic celebration is only to take place at Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre, bringing together “the entire Catholic Church in Eswatini, together with our visitors.”
“The day will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a procession, and Mass will start promptly at 10:00 a.m.,” he said, exuding confidence that the Eucharistic Celebration would be “a joyful occasion” for the visitors and “a profound blessing for the people” of Eswatini.
“120 delegates drawn from the nine countries of IMBISA, including Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Clergy, women, and men Religious, and Laity are expected to grace the event,” said the Argentine-born member of the Institute of the Consolata Missionaries (IMC).
The Golden Jubilee celebration is being realized under the theme: “IMBISA Golden Jubilee: A Synodal journey, nourished by compassion and blossoming in faith as pilgrims of hope.”
It brings together members from Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
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