Bishops and Apostolic Administrators of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) are gathered in Pretoria for their January 2026 Plenary Session, taking place from 20 to 27 January at Khanya House, the Conference’s headquarters.
The eight-day plenary, convened under the theme “Synodality and Mission,” brings together Church leaders from South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini to reflect on the life and mission of the Church and to discern pastoral priorities for the year ahead.
The plenary opened on Tuesday, 20 January, with the Mass of the Holy Spirit, invoking the guidance of the Spirit on the deliberations of the bishops. Wednesday marked the first working day of the Assembly, beginning with the President’s Address delivered by Cardinal Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Johannesburg and President of the SACBC.
In his address, Cardinal Brislin reflected on the significance of the plenary as the Conference begins the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in Southern Africa, while also addressing pressing pastoral, social, and global challenges facing the Church today.
The opening session was followed by an address from the Apostolic Nuncio to Southern Africa, Archbishop Henryk M. Jagodziński, who highlighted the inseparable link between synodality and evangelisation. Conveying greetings from Pope Leo XIV, the Nuncio emphasised that synodality is a way of being Church rooted in listening, communion, and shared responsibility for mission, and not an end in itself.
Archbishop Jagodziński underscored the Holy Father’s call for a missionary Church that proclaims Christ while walking together as the People of God, attentive to cultural realities and pastoral needs, and faithful to the Gospel.
The January plenary is the principal annual assembly of the SACBC, with a second plenary held in August. Over the coming days, the bishops will continue their discussions, prayer, and discernment as they seek to respond to the challenges and hopes of the Church in Southern Africa in a synodal spirit.
