Writing from Rome, where he is receiving the pallium as metropolitan archbishop, Archbishop Sithembele Sipuka has appealed to Catholics in the archdiocese of Cape Town and beyond to show practical solidarity with foreign nationals amid fears of xenophobic violence coinciding with the June 30 protests.
In a pastoral letter addressed to parish priests, parish leaders and parishioners, Archbishop Sipuka said reports of escalating threats, displacement and aggression against African foreign nationals are “causing deep alarm”. Many of those at risk, he noted, are fellow Catholics and Christians who worship and work in local communities.
“The Church cannot be silent, and our parishes cannot be passive,” the archbishop wrote.
He urged parishioners who employ foreign nationals as domestic workers, gardeners or in other roles to allow them to remain at home if travel is unsafe, without deducting their wages.
“Their safety is worth more than any inconvenience their absence may cause,” he said.
Archbishop Sipuka also encouraged parishes to reach out to foreign national parishioners by offering practical assistance, including food, shelter and companionship, while reassuring them that they are welcome in the Church.
Recognising the work already being done by Caritas, he asked parishes to take up a special collection or redirect discretionary funds to support the Catholic relief agency’s response to displaced and vulnerable people.
The archbishop further called on priests to address the situation directly during Masses. “Our people need pastoral guidance, not silence,” he wrote. “Remind them that the stranger in our midst is not a threat but a gift, and that the measure of our Christian life is how we treat those who are most vulnerable.”
Archbishop Sipuka said he is grateful for the many parishes that already embody a spirit of welcome and solidarity, and urged them to deepen that witness at this time.
“I hold you all in prayer from Rome,” he concluded, asking the faithful to pray for him as he receives the pallium as a symbol of his pastoral office.
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