Cardinal, Music, Rugby…

Dear Reader,

The Church in Southern Africa is truly blessed to count Cardinal Stephen Brislin among its leaders. First appointed bishop and later archbishop by Pope Benedict XVI; created a cardinal by Pope Francis; and a participant in the election of Pope Leo XIV, he embodies the finest qualities of all three pontiffs.

For this issue, I had the privilege of interviewing the cardinal about his very busy and eventful year since the October 28, 2024, announcement of his transfer to the archdiocese of Johannesburg. I was delighted to hear how warmly the faithful of Johannesburg have embraced their new archbishop.

Cardinal Brislin’s responsibilities are immense: shepherding the country’s most populous archdiocese (without the support of an auxiliary bishop), continuing as administrator of Cape Town, serving as president and spokesman of the bishops’ conference, and fulfilling his duties on Vatican dicasteries. He modestly, and rightly, points to the work done by others, but his burdens are not light. Always remember to pray for him, and for all his brother bishops.

Music at Mass

For the Jubilee of Choirs on November 22-23, we feature one of South Africa’s most eminent directors of sacred music, Cameron Upchurch. He and many others involved in the music ministry play a vital role in keeping alive the treasures of Chant, Evensong, Missa Cantata, and other forms of liturgical music in our region.

At the same time, dedicated musical directors continue to nurture the tradition of African choral music which, when done well, never fails to lift the soul. Our “Last Word” collection of quotes on the back cover — from St Augustine in the 5th century to Pope Francis in our own time — articulates the importance of music in our faith life.

Of course, not every parish has the resources to engage professionally trained directors of music or choirmasters. But the Jubilee of Choirs may well serve as an opportunity for parishes to take stock of their liturgical music, asking what is working, what is not, and where improvements can be made.

Some may say that the Jubilee on November 18 will be the most important of all, for its focus on the poor. On page 6, we look at what Jesus meant when he said: “The poor you will always have with you.” Spoiler alert: Jesus did not mean that we may therefore give up on them. On page 22, Fr Nhlanhla Mchunu reflects on why the poverty crisis must be addressed properly and decisively, and in his column, Raymond Perrier calls us to introspection.

We all share in the Church’s call to encounter the poor. Sadly, many times we fail in meeting even the base requirement: to treat those on the margins with human dignity. Just spend some time observing how some people of means, even Christians, treat car guards, beggars or the homeless with prejudice, contempt and entitlement.

Catholic education

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Institute of Education. Over the past three decades, I have followed the CIE’s work with interest. The network of Catholic schools (most of them state-funded), and thus the wider Church community, have benefitted enormously from the CIE’s research, advocacy and commitment to retaining the Catholic ethos in our schools. Read the full story of the CIE on page 12.

After reading our feature on page 8, I find myself dreaming of one day visiting the chapel of Notre-Dame de Rugby in France. Nestled in the country’s rugby-mad south, only about 110km north of Lourdes, it is a place where faith and sport meet in joyful expression. The chapel’s stained glass windows, depicting the Child Jesus holding a rugby ball and the Virgin presiding over scrums and line-outs, are enchanting, radiating both energy and faith.

The prayer reproduced with the article will surely be of great inspiration to sports teams in Catholic schools and, where they still exist, in parish settings.

Thank you for reading The Southern Cross, and please tell your friends about your monthly Catholic magazine.

God bless,

Günther Simmermacher
 (Editor)