Launch of Superiors’ Conference of Southern Africa “a historic moment for church”: Nun

In the interview with ACI Africa, the Superior General of the Companions of St. Angela who is the immediate former LCCL President described the RCMSSA as “an Association under the provisions of the Code of Canon Law and holds a legal (status) under the provisions of Canon Law.”

The newly launched Major Superiors’ forum, the South African Catholic Nun said, is a result of a request by the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COMSAM) for a Conferences in the Southern African region.

Credit: ACI Africa

“During our first meeting in August last year, we formally began the process of forming the Southern African Regional Conference of Major Superiors,” Sr. Shibambu said in reference to the 17 August 2021 meeting.

The meeting that was facilitated by three presidents of Religious Conferences of Major Superiors aimed at bringing together those at the helm of the Conferences in Southern Africa “was also an opportunity for the members of the six conferences to get to know each other,” she said.

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During the August 2021 meeting, Sr. Shibambu said, “we met presidents and their executives, and we had quite robust discussions.”

Credit: ACI Africa

She went on to recount sentiments during subsequent meetings leading to the May 14 launching of RCMSSA at Wadzanai Training Centre in Harare.

She said, “We met occasionally online, and we shared ideas, challenges and achievements. The whole experience was very touching; we were all very happy to be engaging with one another. Everyone felt happy to want to establish such a structure within our region. Because in our sharing, we realize we have similar issues.”

As an organ of the Confederation of Conferences of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COSMAM/COMSAM), RCMSSA has been established “to foster a religious spirit in the region; to build unity and foster more effective cooperation for the good of the Church,” Sr. Shibambu told ACI Africa. 

Credit: ACI Africa

“RCMSSA also aims to share and deal with common concerns and challenges among the National Conferences in the region,” the Catholic Nun who was part of the 17 August 2021 meeting said.

She added, “We wish to support and learn from one another, to create mechanisms for collaboration and dialogue with the Regional Episcopal Conference.”

“RCMSSA will also maintain regular contact with the Holy See, COMSAM and IMBISA, and will collaborate in the area of Formation and other social justice matters. We wish to share human resources and other resources,” Sr. Shibambu further said. 

Credit: ACI Africa

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She continued, “We are not going to be duplicating anything that the local or the national conferences will be doing; we are not going to be doing or duplicating anything that individual Congregations will be doing.”

“Our focus is to coordinate Religious Life, from that regional context, where we want to make sure that we foster that spirit of Religious Life within the region,” she said, and reiterated, “We want to build unity and foster more effective cooperation, to ensure that the Church in Southern Africa is alive and growing. We want to give support to one another and learn from one another.”

In his address to participants during the May 14 RCMSSA launch, Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu shared words of encouragement. 

Credit: ACI Africa

Archbishop Ndlovu said, “I encourage you and those who are going to be handling this baby on a day-to-day basis will be conscious of what you have discerned together and make sure that really it comes to fruition.”

Credit: ACI Africa

“I honestly pray that what you've started today may bear fruit; that it may have an impact in the region, and I pray that this diversity of religious Congregations will be enriching; that you may share the best practices amongst yourselves with your particular specific characters for the benefit of the Congregations and the Church”, the Local Ordinary of Harare Archdiocese who doubles as the President of Zimbabwe’s Catholic Bishops Conference said during the May 14 event.

Sheila Pires is a veteran radio and television Mozambican journalist based in South Africa. She studied communications at the University of South Africa. She is passionate about writing on the works of the Church through Catholic journalism.