Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) - “We, the Catholic Bishops of Southern Africa, want to express our deep appreciation for the work people are doing in Catholic schools. As Bishops we give our unequivocal commitment to Catholic schools that are gospel-based, centred on Christ, and which strive to be communities of care, selflessness and sharing.” These are the words of the Bishops of South Africa in their message written at the beginning of the academic year in the country, signed by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SABC). A copy of the message has been sent to Agenzia Fides.
In the message, they point out that “schooling has been, and remains, an important part of the mission of the Church. Our schools strive to help everyone, rich and poor, to grow in faith and to integrate faith with experience. Inspired by the gospel, Catholic schools respect the freedom and dignity of every human being and develop the qualities of personal integrity, moral courage and social responsibility that are marks of authentic Christian personality.”
In as far as religious education is concerned, the Bishops affirmed that “our programs are based on the gospel and on sound educational principles. We need to ensure that prayer and liturgy remain central in the life of our schools.”
The message states that “teachers in Catholic schools are called by God to participate in the teaching ministry of Jesus. Their vocation involves vision, conscientious work, professionalism and care for the children entrusted to them. Teachers in our schools witness to the mission of Christ in bringing about a society based on the principles of love, peace, truth and justice. More than this, teachers are called to prepare their learners to be active and responsible members of society who have purpose and meaning in life and who are capable of being agents of social change.”
The SACBC also highlighted the progress made in recent decades, in the area of self-reliance for educational support. “In the past, we have depended on religious congregations and overseas sources to finance our schools. This is no longer the case. South Africa and its neighbours have grown beyond the stage of being missionary countries, and the time has come for us to take on the responsibilities of an established and self-reliant church. Catholic schools should now be able to rely on the lay faithful to rise to this challenge.”
“We call on all members of the Catholic community to value our schools, and encourage Catholic parents to send their children to Catholic schools. We urge parents to be actively involved in school life, particularly in governing bodies. Parents play a central role in supporting and promoting the vision of education on which our schools are founded. Parishes are natural homes for Catholic schools and we need to re-establish closer links between priests and school communities where the links have been lost.”
“At the start of this school year, we invite Catholics across the region to join us in praying for all those involved in our schools. May this be a good year for pupils, staff, parents and governing body members, as well as the communities in which the schools are located. May God bless our schools so that they may be places of hope,” the Bishops concluded. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 17/2/2009)
