IMBISA held its first plenary assembly from 22 to 24 August 1984 at Chishawasha near Harare, Zimbabwe.
The theme of the plenary was The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church and her Prophetic Mission in Southern Africa.
Bishop Tobias Chiginya of Gweru and president of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the time of the first plenary of IMBISA
It was the first ever plenary assembly, at which all the bishops of the region, 59 in total, met together, in the presence of other guests and staff, being hosted by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, whose president at the time was Bishop Tobias Chiginya of Gweru.
The bishops stayed at the Saints John Fisher and Thomas More Major Seminary and held their meeting sessions in the school hall of St. Ignatius College three kilometres from the Seminary.
The plenary was made possible financially, partly through funding by the members of IMBISA, who approved a tax on each local Ordinary, each diocesan bishop. Other IMBISA activities at the time included two executive meetings a year and one general assembly, which was how IMBISA held ‘plenaries’ at first, with a delegated group of bishops from each conference.
Bishop Mandlenkhosi Zwane of Manzini, one of IMBISA founding fathers who died suddenly in 1980, only four years after his appointment.
Bishop Mandlenkhosi Zwane of Manzini, one of the founding fathers of IMBISA, who invited the secretariat to set up office in Manzini, died on 10 August 1980, in the fourth year of his episcopacy. The vice-president of IMBISA, Archbishop Alexandre José Dos Santos, OFM, of Maputo took on the role as acting president and so presided over the first plenary assembly. In the first business session he noted that Bishop Zwane had helped to give IMBISA its truly African vision.
The opening mass took place in the chapel of the St. Ignatius College and the Sunday Mass was celebrated in the Sacred Heart Cathedral of Harare.
In his welcome address at the opening session on 22 August 1984 Bishop Chiginya told the members of IMBISA and those present,
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference is proud to be part of IMBISA. We have been very happy to play our part in the formation, growth and activity of IMBISA so far. We feel we have played our part, are doing so, and will continue to do so with an active concern and interest.
Archbishop Alexandre José Maria dos Santos of Maputo, Acting President of IMBISA in 1984
Archbishop dos Santos described the forming of IMBISA in his opening remarks. He said since the formation of episcopal conferences and groupings of conferences all over the world, “bishops no longer tend to guide their flocks in isolation.”
He showed how groups of conferences on the continent already came together forming “CENA in the North, AECAWA in the West, AMECEA in the East and now IMBISA in the South.” IMBISA, he said was planned during the Synod of Bishops in Rome in 1974 and gradually took shape after an initial meeting in April 1975 at St. John Vianney Seminary, Pretoria.
Archbishop dos Santos said:
Your Excellencies, that we are here today is already an achievement! … IMBISA is not some kind of super Church, but a consultative and coordination organisation in matters which concern the whole region, especially those which cannot be dealt with by an individual conference of Bishops on their own.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, welcomed the bishops and the observers at the meeting to Zimbabwe and addressed the assembly after Archbishop Francesco Colasuonno, Pro-Nuncio to Zimbabwe read the message of the Holy Father, Pope St. John Paul II. The Holy Father said,
In one spirit, with one mind striving side by side. This is the interior disposition of heart that animates you as you gather to examine the reality of your local Churches in relation to each other, and in the context of the concrete challenges you face. In doing so you give expression to the collegial nature of your episcopal office. May the Lord abundantly bless your fraternal charity, your openness to each other, and your communion in faith and Christian life!
Archbishop Edward Cassidy, the Apostolic Delegate to South Africa and Pro-Nuncio to Lesotho, was in attendance, as was Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli the Apostolic Delegate to Angola and Pro-Nuncio to São Tomé e Príncipe.
Prime Minister Robert Mugabe pointed in his address to the nature and work of IMBISA, picking up the theme of the assembly. He said:
It, therefore, becomes incumbent upon this august meeting to critically analyse the historical and current situation in each country and proceed to prescribe the most relevant and pertinent programme that will ensure that justice and equity is brought to all our peoples.
After the Secretary General’s report a discussion followed on the question of the continuance of IMBISA. The minutes read:
A number of bishops spoke, Owen Cardinal McCann making a strong plea saying that Vatican II, Canon Law and the wishes of the Holy Father all confirmed its desirability. It became clear that the continuance of IMBISA was not in question.
Archbishop Jaime Pedro Gonçalves of Beira was elected president of IMBISA at the 1984 plenary assembly
The assembly elected Archbishop Jaime Pedro Gonçalves of Beira, Mozambique, the new president of IMBISA. He thanked ZCBC for inviting the secretariat to set up in Harare.
Sources
IMBISA. 1984. Background to the holding of a Plenary Assembly. From the Preparatory document pack. IMBISA, Manzini.
IMBISA. 1984. Inter-regional meeting of Bishop of Southern Africa. First Plenary Assembly. 22-26 August 1984. Chishawasha Harare Zimbabwe Africa. IMBISA, Manzini.
On synodal journey for 50 years
In celebration of the golden jubilee of IMBISA, formed in 1975, we publish snippets of history once a week.