Where to Get Catholic News

by Editor · April 3, 2016

Reports in the secular media on the resignation of Cardinal Napier as archbishop of Durban last month had many Catholics severely confused. SABC TV News and Independent Newspapers used the terminology of the cardinal “stepping down”, giving rise to an impression that he would enter retirement with immediate effect, leaving the archdiocese of Durban vacant.

Many of the faithful in the archdiocese of Durban were shocked that they suddenly no longer had the spiritual leader who has guided them for almost 24 years.

Further questions were asked whether his resignation meant that he would also relinquish his position as a cardinal.

It took much corrective work by The Southern Cross and various Catholics on social media to correct the misunderstandings created by media outlets that had understood the term “resignation” in the sense of labour law, rather than canon law.

A Southern Cross Facebook post which set out the facts and reassured the faithful that Cardinal Napier was still the legitimate archbishop of Durban was shared more than 80 times, reaching some 16000 people. Clearly there was a great need for facts to settle the confusion.

And yet, the correct information was publicly available on the day the SABC and Independent Newspapers got things so badly wrong.

In The Southern Cross issue which most readers would have bought that day, we covered Cardinal Napier’s 75th birthday on the front page — including the correct implications of his resignation.

In the second paragraph we explained that every bishop is required by canon law to submit his resignation on reaching the age of 75, and that it is then up to the pope to decide when to accept that resignation. This can take several years.

The pope’s eventual acceptance of Cardinal Napier’s resignation will be accompanied by the naming of his successor as archbishop of Durban. This is standard procedure in settling the succession in archdioceses.

How long this will take is generally governed by different factors: the health, ability and willingness of the incumbent archbishop to continue his episcopal ministry; his reputation in the Vatican, local Church and society; the availability of a suitable successor.

The new nuncio (or papal representative) to Southern Africa, Archbishop Peter Wells, will need to ascertain what personal and demographic attributes are required to lead the archdiocese. With the aid of consultation in the local Church, he will then make his recommendations to the Vatican and to the pope, who then, in his own time, makes the final decision.

In the interim, Archbishop Napier will continue to serve as the head of the archdiocese of Durban. His resignation imposes no limits on his rights and privileges in exercising his episcopal service.

When the pope eventually accepts his resignation, the retired archbishop will continue to be a cardinal until his death. The title is a lifelong honour, though a cardinal may not take part in a papal election after he turns 80.

These facts are known to many readers of The Southern Cross and listeners of Radio Veritas, which interviewed Cardinal Napier in the week leading up to his 75th birthday and also stated the facts about a bishop’s canonical resignation.

The confusion that was generated by secular media reports on a matter relating to the Catholic Church has highlighted again the need for Catholic media in South Africa — especially The Southern Cross as the nation’s Catholic weekly, and Radio Veritas as our only Catholic station — to be vigorously supported and distributed.

Readers of The Southern Cross and listeners of Radio Veritas know what is going on in the Catholic Church because they can draw from reliable Catholic sources.

On the other hand, those who receive their information about the Catholic Church from secular sources are likely to be misled by journalists who tend to be novices in the field they are covering.

Relying on the secular press for news and insights about the Catholic Church is akin to consulting a rugby magazine for expert information about ballet techniques.

Here we have had a concrete example of why the local Church needs its faithful to consume Catholic news in great numbers. Now, what are we going to do about it?