Johannesburg, 16 June, 2023 / 8:50 pm (ACI Africa).
Members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) who include Bishops in Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa have shared their insights on the role of the Clergy and the Laity on the second day of their ongoing Ad Limina visit.
In a video recording published Wednesday, June 14 after a meeting with members of the Clergy and Laity from the three SACBC countries living in Rome, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of South Africa’s Mthatha Diocese and Archbishop Zolile Peter Mpambani of Bloemfontein Archdiocese in South Africa caution against mixing up roles.
“It made a big difference for the Bishops listening to the laity; the lay people had a sense of commitment about the work that they are doing,” Bishop Sipuka says in reference to SACBC members’ earlier meeting with the officials of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization.
In the video, the Local Ordinary of Mthatha Diocese who doubles as the President of SACBC acknowledges with appreciation the presentation that the three laypeople made on the role of the laity in the Church.
He emphasizes that there is no competition between the Clergy and the Laity, and that their roles are complementary.
