Johannesburg, 29 July, 2022 / 9:01 pm (ACI Africa).
The Catholic Archbishop at South Africa’s Pretoria Archdiocese has urged pastoral agents in his Metropolitan See to stop working in silos, and instead operate in “a coordinated manner” to optimally reach out to the needy.
In his July 23 remarks to members of the newly established Archdiocesan Commission for Caritas, Migrants and Refugees, Archbishop Dabula Anthony Mpako explained that the South African Archdiocese needs to have a common vision and a coordinated plan of pastoral action to better meet the needs of the people.
“There are sodalities and charity bodies that have been doing charity works in the Archdiocese, however, we are operating in silos. We need to shift our approach and focus. These bodies are part of the local Church and must operate in a coordinated manner”, Archbishop Mpako said.
He added, “The work of charity represented by the word Caritas is an integral part of the mission of the church, which is an important part of what the church is about. Carrying out works of charity, reaching out to those in need, especially to those most vulnerable, to help develop them, meet their needs in a holistic manner.”
The first Vice President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) highlighted Caritas as an important “integral development of the mission of the Church”, adding, “It is therefore an important and integral part of what we as the local Church of the Archdiocese of Pretoria ought to be about.”