Catholic Bishop in South Africa Urges Laity to Embrace Their Faith with Joy, Renewed Hope

The member of the congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill (CMM) underscored the need for increased participation of the Laity in the Church, citing the final document of the Synod on Synodality which the late Pope Francis extended to 2024.

“The Synod’s final document highlighted the need for increased lay participation through the establishment of new ministries, inclusive and transparent Church governance, and the intentional inclusion of marginalized groups,” he said.

In his August 3 message, the Local Ordinary of the Kokstad Diocese grieved the passing on of Bishop Fritz Lobinger, the Emeritus Bishop of South Africa’s Catholic Diocese of Aliwal, who has been eulogized in South Africa as the “Bishop of the Laity, SCCs, and Leadership Training.”

“He (Bishop Lobinger) was the last of the three Priests who came from the Diocese of Regensburg in Germany and became Bishops here in South Africa. The other two were Bishop Oswald Hirmer (Mthatha) and Bishop Hubert Bucher (Bethlehem),” said Bishop Mbuyisa, urging the people of God in South Africa to pray for the souls of the three German missionaries.

He implored, “In our prayers, let us remember these giants of our faith together with countless Lay Women and Men of our Diocese who have worked tirelessly for evangelization.”

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The late Bishop, who passed on at the age of 96 was born in Passau, in Bavaria at the German border to Austria, and was ordained a Priest in nearby Regensburg in June 1955. He began his Episcopal Ministry in February 1987.

A memorial service for the late Bishop is scheduled for August 14 at St. Francis Mission Aliwal North. The funeral Mass and burial is set to take place on Friday, August 15 at the Aliwal North Cathedral of the Aliwal Metropolitan See where he served for 16 years.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.