South African “Bishops” Mask Apostasy with Social Activism
Catholic News Agency (November 26, 2025) reports through its African subsidiary ACI Africa on a joint statement by the Southern African Catholic “Bishops” Conference (SACBC) and National Catholic Board of Education condemning school violence in South Africa. The groups label rising assaults, rapes, and murders in schools as a “national moral failure” while appealing to government and civil society for security measures.
Naturalism Disguised as Pastoral Concern
The statement reduces the Church’s mission to sociological activism, lamenting that “school spaces meant for learning… have become battlegrounds” while demanding “sufficient funding for essential safety infrastructure.” This contradicts Pius XI’s teaching that “the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men… nations are happy… when they conform to the teachings and law of Christ” (Encyclical Quas Primas, 1925). By omitting the supernatural causes of societal collapse – the rejection of Christ the King – these “leaders” reduce morality to bureaucratic solutions.
“Every learner deserves safety, every teacher deserves protection, and every school must be a sanctuary of peace and learning.”
This sentimentalized language obscures the true sanctuary: the Catholic altar where the propitiatory Sacrifice is offered. The 1917 Code of Canon Law (Canon 1373) mandates Catholic schools to form students in doctrina catholica integra – not merely physical safety. The SACBC’s silence on students being deprived of sacraments and catechism exposes their apostasy.
Bergoglio’s Heresy as Doctrinal Foundation
The “bishops” weaponize Jorge Bergoglio’s (Fratelli Tutti, 2020) to claim: “every act of violence committed against a human being is a wound in humanity’s flesh.” This gnostic heresy substitutes the Redemptive Blood of Christ with secular humanism. Contrast this with Pius IX’s condemnation: “The Church is an enemy of the progress of natural and theological sciences” (Syllabus of Errors, §57). True pastors would invoke the Most Sacred Heart’s reparation, not Bergoglio’s anthropocentric platitudes.
Theological Vacuum as Systemic Apostasy
Not one mention appears of:
- The necessity of sacramental confession to transform souls
- Public consecration of South Africa to Christ the King
- The duties of parents to educate children in the Faith (Canon 1113)
- Excommunication for Catholic politicians enabling moral decay
St. Pius X’s Lamentabili Sane (1907) condemned precisely this modernist reduction: §22 declares heretical the idea that “dogmas… are not truths of divine origin but… interpretations of religious facts.” By treating violence as a sociological phenomenon rather than divine chastisement for national apostasy, the SACBC proves itself a conciliar sect.
Canonical Irregularity of Signatories
The “Justice and Peace Commission” issuing this document lacks canonical status. Pius X’s Vehementer Nos (1906) affirmed that “the Church is essentially an unequal society… the Pastors and the flock… cannot extricate themselves from the authority of the bishops.” Yet these post-conciliar commissions operate as parallel structures promoting Marxist liberation theology under “social justice” guises.
Silence on Spiritual Weapons
A true Catholic response would demand:
- Daily Rosary processions in school courtyards
- Exorcisms of properties desecrated by bloodshed
- Restoration of corporal punishment by lawful authorities (Romans 13:4)
- Expulsion of teachers promoting contraception or gender ideology
Instead, the SACBC’s solution – “adequate fencing and security personnel” – mocks the Psalmist: “Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Ps 127:1). Their refusal to name Christ as South Africa’s only Sovereign reveals them as wolves in shepherd’s clothing.
Source:
Catholic leaders in South Africa decry escalating school attacks, urge action (catholicnewsagency.com)
Date: 26.11.2025