Dear Reader,
A recurring theme in this month’s issue, touched on rather than being fully explored, is the intersection of faith and culture.
Archbishop Dabula Mpako addresses the subject briefly in our interview with him on page 10, and the research by Dr Kedibone Seutloadi — whom we see on this month’s cover — on culture and marriage is doubtless a useful tool, especially when it comes to understanding such matters as cultural patriarchy and polygamy.
On the back page we see an inculturated Madonna, with an African Mary carrying the baby Jesus on her back. Devotional art reminds us that images of a white Jesus were themselves the result of inculturation — European artists adapting their image of the Lord to their own culture.
Our bishops’ conference is in the process of studying the subject of inculturation, and the debate is bound to continue — sometimes fiercely. Inculturation is an important but also complex issue, and it is not new in the Church. St Francis Xavier, in his efforts to evangelise in Japan in the 16th century, adopted forms of inculturation, and was not universally praised for it.
Indeed, the early Christians were already engaging in inculturation when they assimilated some local pagan customs into Christian practice — for example, when pagan deities or cultic figures were replaced by patron saints who took on similar social roles.
It is of little use pretending that the Eurocentric way of doing things in the Church is the only valid one. What needs to be discerned is where inculturation ends and syncretism — the blending of incompatible beliefs — begins.
World Youth Day’s host
A country that seems to have inculturated effectively is South Korea, the only country where Christianity was first spread by local laypeople rather than by foreign missionaries. I recently had the privilege of travelling to Seoul, host of World Youth Day 2027, and I write about my impressions on pages 14–15.
One thing that struck me was that Korean Catholics do not kneel during the Eucharistic rite, but stand, as is also the custom in Eastern Catholic liturgies. It was a reminder that the Western way of showing reverence is not the only norm.
A losing bet
Anyone who watches sport broadcasts will know how commercials for online betting bombard us with enticements to have a few flutters on the results. Blessed are those of us who can resist that temptation!
I was shocked to learn that South Africans spend R1,5 trillion a year on online gambling. That amounts to an average of around R37500 per adult in the country. If you subtract the millions who cannot afford the cost of gambling, and the many more who do not place bets, then the expenditure per head by those who do gamble is staggering. Imagine that kind of money being spent on something productive!
Read more about the corrosive effects of gambling abuse on page 8.
Another social concern is the question of mental health, an area still afflicted by stigma. As we read on page 16, priests are not immune to depression and other mental health problems. On the contrary, the stress of their ministry and their solitary lifestyle can contribute to issues like depression. It is good that the Church is becoming increasingly aware of this, as our report on page 16 shows.
A new voice
Every month since December 2008 — almost 18 years — Fr Chris Chatteris SJ has shared his erudite, thought-provoking reflections on the prayer intentions of three popes. He therefore thoroughly deserves to take a sabbatical from this task. For the next few months, Dr Garikai Madavo nSJ, a novice with the Society of Jesus (hence the letter N in his postnominal), will fill in for Fr Chris. No doubt Garikai’s reflections will help us in joining the Holy Father in prayer.
Thank you for reading The Southern Cross, and please tell your friends about your monthly Catholic magazine.
God bless,
Günther Simmermacher
(Editor)
- Faith and Culture Meet - August 3, 2026
- Shrines around the World: Our Lady of China - July 20, 2026
- PE’s Fr Billy Barnes dies at 92 - July 13, 2026
