By Celani Sikhakhane
- Church members in Durban are angry after Archbishop Mandla Jwara removed two priests who are also practising as traditional sangomas.
- Father Hugh O’Connor says the church does not keep priests in jobs just because church members like these specific leaders.
Catholic church members in Durban are angry after two popular priests were removed for being sangomas. People in Pinetown and Montclair say they might leave the church. They say they will stop giving their money to the church to protest. They want the priests to come back to their parishes.
Archbishop Mandla Jwara removed Father Thembelani Ngcobo and Father Sfiso Ndlovu earlier this month. Both men are also practising sangomas. Father Zithulele Madlala and Father Thami Zuma have now taken over their roles.
The church leadership said the priests will not return. Father Hugh O’Connor is the Secretary General of the Southern African Catholic Bishop Conference (SACBC). He said the church does not pick priests because of their popularity.
Father O’Connor said church members do not decide who leads their community. He said while people might be happy with a priest who speaks to their heart, this is not how the church operates.
The Catholic church has been studying traditional healing and African spirits since 2019. This study looks at the growing number of sangomas in South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini. Researchers are interviewing sangomas and watching rituals.
Bishops will later decide if the church can fully accept sangomas. They will decide if these healers can receive Holy Communion. But right now, the rules are very strict. Bishops in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have banned ancestral rituals and using traditional healers.
The church said these practices go against the First Commandment. Current rules say that priests and other religious leaders cannot act as diviners. The church is now in the second phase of this study.
Pictured above: Father Hugh O’Connor of the Catholic church in Southern Africa.
Image source: Roman Catholic Church
