“A Savior of possibilities”: Bishop in South Africa Expresses Solidarity with Refugees

“In the book of Judges, we see Sarah who was barren. We see Hannah. We see Elizabeth.  All these women were crying, facing difficulties with having children. In our time too we should be like Hannah, like Sarah, like Elizabeth. They never lost hope. Let us therefore be positive, having hope that things will be better,” the native of Uganda says.

He further says that the birth of Jesus Christs brings with it renewed hope, and adds, “But this hope may find us in very dark moments.”

“There are always dark and bright moments in our lives. We must not get discouraged. We must not run away. We must not throw in the towel. We must always wait for the right moment,” he says, and urges the people of God to also learn from Mother Mary who waited after the angel had visited her. 

In his Christmas 2023 message, Bishop Kizito continues, “I wish you a wonderful merry Christmas and may the year 2024 be a year of positive possibilities; may you trust in the Lord that things will get better.”

Meanwhile, Bishop Kizito has expressed his closeness with families of the 61 migrants who reportedly went missing and were feared dead in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya on December 16.

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“Some people lost their lives last week while trying to travel to Europe. May their families be consoled and strengthened,” he told ACI Africa.

In a past interview with ACI Africa, Bishop Kizito appealed to countries hosting refugees and migrants in Africa to stop “exploiting” this vulnerable group.

“These people need food, shelter, and work. Let's stop exploiting them because they are vulnerable. Let's stop using them for cheap labor. I appeal to the Church, specifically, to desist from misusing migrants and refugees because this exploitation will go down history and will come back to haunt us. We all know how the Church has been accused of enslavement in the past. Let’s treat these people with dignity,” he said during the March 9 interview.

The Liaison Bishop for the Migrants and Refugees in the SACBC noted that migrants and refugees could be empowered with opportunities to work for themselves and pay for their needs, instead of enclosing them in camps where they are continually given relief food.

“These refugees are not stupid people. For someone to brave dangers along the way from DRC to Kenya or to South Africa, they must be courageous and resourceful. Many migrants and refugees have employable skills. Some have scaled academic heights and all they need are opportunities to make a living and to grow themselves and their families,” Bishop Kizito told ACI Africa.