COVID-19 Crisis “a particular prophetic moment in our lives”: South African Prelate

In his reflection, Archbishop Gabuza notes that the disease which was first recorded in the country in March has “forced (us) to stop and take a long pause about our normal activities.”

“Our spaces of education, business, sports and other social activities have been put on hold. Our way of visiting the sick, our way of coming together to worship has taken a serious dent. When we have to bury our loved ones, we are being rushed in order for our dead to be put away without us doing proper closure,” he says.

The Archbishop continues, “Daily, we have to sit down and listen to the bad news about the many who are infected and the number of those who have died.”

“As COVID-19 scythes a swath of death, the news about those who are on the way of recovery does not move away the pain, the fear and the panic we have. Ours is not a pleasant situation. We can feel the abject helplessness in our veins,” he further says in his reflection.

He continues, “We can be dominated by paralysis, fear and despair. It can be difficult to have any positive attitudes about the future.”

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“Our situation may have given birth to many cynics. There are voices that are loud and they keep saying that we are being punished by God. God has had enough of our wickedness, and now we deserve punishment. The COVID-19 pandemic is our punishment and our moment of having a taste of the weeping and grinding of teeth. The reality is that we will always have prophets of doom in our midst,” the South African Archbishop observes in his reflection.

In combating the disease, the Coadjutor Archbishop of Durban encourages the people of God in his country “to let go of being cynical and about to throw our hands into the air and give up.”

“The call for us today in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is to continue the journey of staying spiritually healthy. As people of faith, we are presented with challenges we cannot ignore. It can be easy to be swallowed by hopelessness and despair,” the Prelate further reflects.

Quoting the member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Fr. Ron Rolheiser, the Archbishop invites the people of God to “have a contemplative practice each day that includes prayer.”

“The way to survive and thrive in this situation of COVID-19 is to be creative with all the time we have in order to free ourselves from being bored, frustrated and paralysed,” he adds referencing Fr. Ron Rolheiser.

Archbishop Gabuza draws words of encouragement from the Biblical text of Joshua saying, “Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.” 

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.