Women Religious Recognized as Christ’s “foot soldiers” in Zimbabwe for Sacrifice, Dedication to Pastoral Activities

Bishop Tapiwa found fault in the faithful lauding the Clergy, when the real work, he said, is done by Catholic Sisters. He said, “When people talk about the Church, they say: ‘Father is doing a good job here, he is very good at organizing.’”

“Father might be good at organizing, but who implements all these things? Who makes it work? It is the women in the Congregations, with very little gratitude,” the Bishop said, and added, “Historically we have had a challenge in the manner in which we have been expressing our gratitude.”

Bishop Tapiwa emphasized the need for the Church to support and motivate women Religious in their pastoral work, so that they can pay their bills comfortably while serving God.

He noted that for lack of support, “a good number” of women Religious have given up on pastoral activities, and are now more interested in their work as teachers or as nurses, where they get a salary from the government.

“Many are leaving pastoral work because they feel that they are not well supported,” the Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 2019 as Local Ordinary of Chinhoyi Diocese in Zimbabwe said. 

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He shared his personal experience of the hardships that women Religious in Zimbabwe go through in serving among the poor. 

Bishop Tapiwa recalled one of his visits to a border pastoral area of Zambia and Mozambique where he experienced the difficult conditions of the people living in the remotest part of the Diocese. Sisters serving there, the Catholic Bishop said, were so poor that they could not afford to host the Bishop. The Sisters had to put up tents to host their visitors, he recalled.

The local ordinary of Masvingo expressed hope for the future of the Catholic Church in recognizing women Religious, noting that things are looking up in other countries where Sisters are acknowledged by governments.

He said that recognizing women Religious aligns with Pope Francis' call for a more synodal church.

 “We pray that we become more synodal, more caring, more attentive to the needs of the oldest and the youngest. We want to transform the Church into a real family of God, where the dignity of every person is respected,” Bishop Tapiwa is quoted as saying in the February 12 ACN report.