Intervention of Mons. Louis Ncamiso NDLOVU, Bishop of Manzini (SWAZILAND)

H. Exc. Mons. Louis Ncamiso NDLOVU, O.S.M., Bishop of Manzini (SWAZILAND)



The Catholic Church in Swaziland is still young having arrived in 1914 and numbers some 55 000 adherents in a population of 1 million, meaning that only five percent of Swazis are Catholics. Even though the Church is a minority it remains the largest Single Christian Church in the country. From its arrival the Church participated in social action in many parts of the country. This has received lots of praise from the traditional and political authorities in the land. My predecessors, mainly of European origin, enjoyed good relations with the traditional authorities as well.

In recent years, the relationship between the Church and the traditional and political leaders has become ambivalent. The Church continues to receive much praise from government for her interventions in the area of education, health and programmes for development. As a Church we continue to question the system of governance as we believe that it contributes to the high levels of poverty in the country. The Government criticizes the Church for speaking on issues of governance, insisting that the duty of the Church should be confined to the liturgy and worship and not to be present in the social and political life of the people. This has seen us being befriended by members of civic society, including trade unions and the banned political parties and movements. As a Church we therefore find ourselves in the middle of two opposing forces. This presents a unique opportunity for the Church as she can minister to the government and members of civic society.

The theme of this Synod challenges us to lead an authentic Christian life. This requires that the Church be exemplary to the unbelievers and other Christians too. We have every duty to contribute to the well being of society and to be a beacon of hope in the face of many challenges and difficulties. The Swazi people are a homogenous group, having the same culture and speaking the same language. As such the Swazi people can be likened to one big family. We are thus once again called to live as a family. Every family has to face some problems and disagreements at some point. We should deal with these problems in a truthful and honest manner and above all in a spirit of charity.