From Our Vaults 43 Years Ago: April 26, 1981

by Admin · April 26, 2024

One year of Zim independence

The bishops of Zimbabwe have hailed a “new era of peace” following the country’s first year of independence. They thanked “our government and its leaders, who after many years of bitter struggle put aside the temptation [of] revenge, and instead gave a truly Christian example of magnanimity by calling for reconciliation among all the people of this country”. The bishops also condemned “many disgraceful acts of violence” that still persisted.

Call for schools subsidies

Archbishop John Fitzgerald of Johannesburg has called on the state to give subsidies to Catholic schools, which have not been state assisted since the 1950s. He spoke at the opening of four new classrooms at St John Berchman’s School in Orlando East, one of five Catholic schools in Soweto. The R45000 [about R1,2 million in 2024 value] to build the classrooms came from the diocese of Johannesburg, the Oblate community, the Holy Family Sisters, Victory Park parish, and other donations. (See photo below.)

Editorial: Old councils rule

As Pope John Paul II has called a synod of bishops to reflect on Church councils from 1600 years ago, editor Mgr Donald de Beer writes that it is “time we realised that the early ecumenical councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon were of more fundamental importance to believers today than any which have been held since, Vatican II included”.

Published in April 2024 issue of The Southern Cross magazine