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Over 40 parishioners in South Africa archdiocese face excommunication after disruptive protests

January 18, 2026 EWTN News 0
Archbishop Dabula Mpako of the Archdiocese of Pretoria. | Credit: Photos courtesy of Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC)

Jan 18, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Archbishop Dabula Mpako of South Africa’s Catholic Archdiocese of Pretoria has issued a canonical decree requiring a group of parishioners who reportedly incited a series of protests at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in the archdiocese to undergo a “rehabilitative process” or be penalized — including the possibility of excommunication.

In the decree circulated on Jan. 11, Mpako described the events of December 2025 in which some parishioners of the cathedral are said to have organized demonstrations, inciting other parishioners to participate in them. He said that they disrupted Mass to protest a pastoral decision that was made by the bishop concerning “a pastor of the archdiocese.”

The actions of Dec. 7 and Dec. 28, Mpako said, “seriously harmed ecclesial communion and the good name of the Church” as well as the freedom of the archbishop in the legitimate exercise of his pastoral office.

He said that penalties will include possible excommunication that “is reserved for those who, after due warning, persist in the schismatic behavior of inciting revolt against the lawful authority of the bishop.”

Parishioner protests

On Dec. 7, a group of approximately 42 parishioners are said to have unlawfully assembled in front of the cathedral and conducted a public protest “denouncing the diocesan bishop for a legitimate pastoral decision concerning the pastor.”

The group is said to have made false and defamatory public assertions regarding the reasons for the bishop’s decision and to have incited opposition, resistance, and hostility against the bishop.

Mpako said the protesters caused public scandal and disturbance to the ecclesial order. He claimed that prior to the Dec. 7 event, the same group “instrumentalized” the celebration of Mass by engaging in coordinated protest actions during the sacred liturgy, thereby gravely violating the sanctity of divine worship and the reverence owed to the Eucharistic celebration.

Afterward, the individuals are said to have disseminated photographs and videos of the demonstration through social media platforms, further propagating false accusations and aggravating scandal among the faithful.

The same group reportedly wrote and sent letters of appeal to certain Church authorities based on what the bishop claims are false and defamatory public assertions regarding his decision.

The parishioners are said to have encouraged others to attach their digital signatures to the allegations.

On Dec. 28, a smaller number of the same individuals reportedly staged another protest at the conclusion of Pretoria’s jubilee year celebration.

Mpako said these actions seriously harmed the reverence owed to sacred worship and that in their conduct, the parishioners violated 11 canon laws, including failure to preserve communion with the Church.

He said the parishioners also violated the law that speaks about “illegitimate and harmful expression of opinions contrary to reverence toward pastors and the common good of the Church.”

Among the canonical penalties that may be given, the archbishop highlighted interdict, meaning that protesters may be barred from receiving the sacraments and sacramentals, and from participating in liturgical actions as ministers.

The other penalty falls under Penal Remedies and Penances, and includes public reprimand, withdrawal of permission to hold ecclesiastical office, and the imposition of pious or charitable works.

Other penalties include suspension from ecclesiastical offices, excommunication, as well as “just penalties for sacrilege” given the sacrilegious abuse of the Mass the parishioners reportedly may have committed.

The archbishop, however, proposed a corrective and rehabilitative process, saying that he desires “the conversion, reconciliation, and pastoral restoration of the offenders.”

The process he suggested includes a public retraction and apology requiring those responsible to retract the false accusations made publicly; remove scandalous content from social media; and issue an apology “in a manner determined by the diocesan authority.”

He also advised that for a determined time, participants in the protests may be barred from liturgical ministries, leadership roles, and public ecclesial functions. The parishioners are also to refrain from organizing or participating in public demonstrations related to ecclesiastical governance.

Mpako further directed mandatory participation in sessions on ecclesiology, the theology of episcopal authority, the nature of obedience and communion, as well as the sacredness of the liturgy.

As for “spiritual rehabilitation,” the archbishop said the protesters must engage in mandatory spiritual direction, acts of penance, and prayers for ecclesial unity, as assigned. “If any step is refused or neglected, the ordinary will proceed to impose canonical penalties as warranted.”

Further, he added: “This decree takes effect immediately upon notification and is to be communicated to the individuals concerned in the most expedient manner.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa.

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Catholic communities in Burkina Faso ‘constantly living in fear’ 

September 5, 2024 Catholic News Agency 0
Worshippers attend a mass at Ouagadougou’s Catholic cathedral on June 12, 2022, in Burkina Faso. The country has been grappling with Islamist terrorism since 2015 and Christian communities live in fear of furhter attacks. / Credit: OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Africa, Sep 5, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Two Catholic priests serving in the West African nation of Burkina Faso have spoken about the threats that terrorist groups pose to Christians in the country, saying the people of God there live in constant fear.

In a Sept. 2 press conference organized by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, Father Bertin Namboho, diocesan financial administrator of the Diocese of Nouna, and Father Jean-Pierre Koné, a parish priest in Tansila, shared their personal experiences in the country that has been grappling with Islamist terrorism since 2015.

“Since the onset of these attacks, we have witnessed our community being torn apart. The terrorists have blocked our city, destroying essential services. There is no electricity, no water, and the health system is reduced to a minimum. The situation is critical,” Namboho lamented.

“We now have about 5,000 people in our city who have fled from the villages. They have lost everything. Their husbands and fathers have been killed or disappeared, and we are struggling to provide for their basic needs,” he said.

The economic toll on the western town of Nouna is equally devastating, he said, adding that the destruction of infrastructure has disrupted local commerce, leaving residents without access to banks and essential services.

“The entire city has been under siege, with no access to food or medical supplies. The situation is extremely difficult for everyone,” the priest said. 

He recounted his personal experiences with the terrorists, saying that various encounters have instilled in him “profound fear.”

“During my travels for the church’s work, I have faced armed groups who question and threaten us. I was with nuns, and we were stopped and searched. It is terrifying to face such hostility and know that priests have been kidnapped and killed,” he recounted, adding: “We are constantly living in fear, unsure if we will survive each day.”

For his part, Koné, who has been serving in Tansila parish since October 2022, spoke about the escalation of violence across Burkina Faso over the years. 

Upon arriving in the town of Tansila, also in the western part of the country, Koné found the region already facing severe security challenges, he said. “The situation was tense from the beginning, but it has worsened progressively. The terrorists have targeted and destroyed all communication networks, cutting us off from the rest of the country.”

Koné recalled the devastating impact of the terrorists’ attacks on April 15, 2023, when more than 200 militants stormed Tansila. 

“They arrived in the evening and attacked the town with such force that residents had no time to gather their belongings. They looted everything — food, money, and even transportation means,” Koné recounted. 

He continued: “The destruction was immense. Our church, presbytery, and all our religious artifacts were vandalized. We returned to find everything in ruins.”

The psychological and spiritual impact of these attacks, he said, have been “profound.”

“The destruction of our church feels like the loss of our religious identity. It is as though we have been stripped of our dignity and our faith. The pain is not just physical but deeply spiritual. It raises questions about where God is in the midst of such suffering.”

Koné also spoke about the impact of the terrorist attacks on the local population, who he said is grappling with the loss of loved ones and the destruction of homes and livelihoods. 

“We celebrated a dark Christmas last year,” he said during the ACN press conference. “The attacks had left us in a state of panic and despair. Our communities are deeply scarred, and the suffering is unimaginable.” 

This article was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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