The Church’s backwater
Catholics in Southern Africa may be forgiven if they sometimes feel marginalised in the big family of God that is the global Church. It is true that this region has had little share in the many records set during Pope John Paul’s long pontificate.
We report this week that Pope John Paul has canonised two new saints in Mexico and Guatemala. He is now preparing to beatify another group of holy men and women in Poland, adding to the 464 he has canonised and 1292 he has beatified. Of the holy multitudes, only one, the French missionary Bl Joseph Gérard, represents Southern Africa. The local Catholic may well wonder whether Southern Africa will ever see a canonisation.
There are many reasonable explanations for the lack of local saints. The prohibitive cost of a canonisation process is one, the comparative absence of an entrenched Catholic culture in society is another.
Yet, a missionary territory—and Southern Africa is still regarded as such—is a fertile breeding ground for expressions of holiness. Surely there have been many saintly people serving the Church in this region. The local Church should identify these, promote them, and obtain funding for the rigorous advancement of their causes.
A canonisation of a Southern African saint might even convince the pope to visit this part of the world again. The globetrotting pope has visited the region only twice—in 1988 bypassing South Africa itself for political reasons; in 1995 on a whistle-stop as part of a four-country tour of Africa.
It is fair to presume that Southern Africa ranks low on the list of future papal itineraries, especially as this pontificate slowly but inexorably winds down. This represents a lost opportunity. One can only speculate how a papal trip to Southern Africa would galvanise the Catholic community here, and what evangelical opportunities such a visit would present. Nevertheless, would Pope John Paul (or, in the long-term, his successor) decline a warm invitation to visit South Africa?
Likewise, the local Church should strive to host global Catholic events such as World Youth Day and international eucharistic congresses. South Africa is quite capable of staging such events.
Let’s invite the Catholic world to celebrate the faith in our own backyard. And let’s work to persuade the Holy See that Southern Africa is due the same privileges other regions often take for granted.
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