SACBC Christmas Message 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I wish you grace and peace as we prepare ourselves to welcome the newborn Saviour, Jesus Christ. As we once again celebrate the holy feast of Christmas, our hearts are drawn to the humble manger in Bethlehem, where the true Light entered our world. In that fragile Child, God reveals His closeness to humanity – His desire to dwell among us, to heal us, and to lead us into the fullness of life.

This Christmas brings to a close a momentous year – for us as the Catholic faithful and for the peoples of the world. It is a time of great uncertainty. In so many places it is difficult for people to experience the Light of Christmas as darkness and despair overwhelm them. The world remains besieged by deadly conflicts and the repercussions of genocide. The global family is becoming more divided and competitive rather than compassionate and cooperative. We are moving further away from care for others and our common home as societal culture gravitates more towards selfishness, abuse and consumption. We can only despair at the lack of concern for high levels of starvation and continuing human rights abuses in conflict zones such as the Sudan, the Holy Land and Ukraine.

There is also a worrying trend of increasing authoritarianism, threatening respect for the rule of law, the undermining of multilateralism and a narrow nationalistic worldview.
In South Africa, we continue to face the lack of accountability for crime, corruption and service delivery failures, as poverty and unemployment remain unconscionably high. The continuing deluge of revelations of corruption is overwhelming and leads to scandal fatigue as people can no longer process how much is being stolen from the public purse – and at what cost to the poor and vulnerable. Attacks against migrants and refugees continues to be a smear on our humanity.
Such hopelessness leads to loss of faith in the political system. Yet the preparations for the recent G20 summit shows what is possible when there is political will to rehabilitate and improve functioning in the state.

The season of Advent reminded us to remain watchful and hopeful, even in these uncertain times, and to prepare ourselves to fully embrace the gift of Christ’s coming at Christmas. The Catholic family has been on a journey of grace and enlightenment from last Christmas when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica to begin the Jubilee of Hope. Sadly, during this blessed year of renewal of our faith, Pope Francis breathed his last and returned to the Father the morning after celebrating the feast of Easter with pilgrims at St Peter’s Square. People around the world mourned his death. His leadership of the Church was defined by being the voice of the poor and those on the margins of society. There was an enduring message from the Book of Romans that Pope Francis cited some weeks before he fell ill: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).

We have been blessed with the election of Pope Leo XIV as the 266th successor of St Peter. In the few months since his inauguration, the Holy Father has strengthened the Church and inspired people through his leadership, his humility, his convictions and his outreach. In October, the Vatican released Pope Leo XIV’s first Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te, which means “I have loved you”, challenging us on the Gospel imperative of love for those who are poor. The Holy Father’s message to ambassadors recently points to how he sees the role of the Church under his stewardship: ‘The Holy See will not be a silent bystander to the grave disparities, injustices and fundamental human rights violations in our global community”. The Church’s diplomacy, he added, is “consistently directed toward serving the good of humanity,” attentive especially to “those who are poor, in vulnerable situations or pushed to the margins of society.”

In November, President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Pope Leo in Rome and discussed issues of mutual concern, particularly how to advance peace efforts in global conflict zones. They also discussed economic inequality, Africa’s debt burden and reform of the global financial system, which aligned with South Africa’s G20 priorities.
I appreciated the opportunity to work with the President’s Special Envoy, Mcebisi Jonas, to arrange the meeting and the strengthening of relations between South Africa and the Holy See. In his message to the Holy Father, President Ramaphosa said a new global spirit needed to be summoned as the current global challenges could only be resolved through solidarity and multilateralism, not by nations acting alone. The President also joined the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference in their August Plenary Session resolution to extend an invitation to the Holy Father to visit South Africa.

This Christmas, I wish to offer a special word of gratitude for the steadfast faith, generosity, and resilience shown by Catholics throughout South Africa.

In our parishes, missions, schools, and homes, I witness daily the quiet heroism of ordinary believers: families praying together, young people searching sincerely for God’s will, communities supporting the poor, and countless individuals working for peace, reconciliation, and justice in our land and further afield.

Christmas invites us to renew this spirit of hope. The Christ Child does not remove all challenges, but He teaches us that love – self-giving, courageous, patient love – has the power to transform hearts and society. As we gather with loved ones, may we remember especially those who are alone, those who mourn, and those who struggle with economic hardship. May our acts of kindness become living signs of Emmanuel, “God-with-us.”

I encourage you in this holy season to return again to prayer, to the Sacraments, and to the Scriptures. Let Christ’s light guide your decisions, your families, your work, and your service to others and to our country. May the Church continue to be an instrument of healing and unity, reflecting Jesus’ compassion for all people.

With gratitude and affection, I entrust you and your families to the loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Saviour. May the peace of the newborn Christ fill your homes and hearts now and throughout the coming year.
A blessed and joyful Christmas to you all.

Cardinal Stephen Brislin President
Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference
15 December 2025