This was the last General Assembly to be held before the first ever Plenary Asssembly. It was held in Manzini, Swaziland. It took five days, from the 2 – 6 June 1980. It had four main items on its agenda:
- The Manzini Workshop on Social Justice prepared a day’s workshop for the delegates to illustrate materials and methods.
- The findings of the Arusha Report on Refugees was made available by Bishop Zwane and as a result it was resolved that the matter of Refugees be further examined in depth and action be taken on their behalf.
- A synthesis of the replies of the five conference on the Family in the Modern World was presented and discussed and approved for presentation to the Synod Committee in Rome.
- The Executive Committee was re-elected for a further period of three years with the mandate to prepare for a Plenary Meeting of all bishops of IMBISA within three years. This was to be the first ever plenary assembly.
Another issue was to find a more permanent General Secretariat. Newly independent Zimbabwe, which celebrated its independence on 18 April 1980, was proposed. There was an urgent need to accommodate the Portuguese speaking section of IMBISA. This resulted in IMBISA becoming officially bilingual.
Participants at the Fourth General Assembly
- Archbishop Fitzgerald – President
- Archbishop Dos Santos OFM – Vice-President
- Archbishop Morapeli OMI – Executive
- Bishop Zwane – Executive, Secretary General
- Bishop Paul Khoarai – Executive
- Owen Cardinal McCann – Ex officio
- Bishop Ascensão Puaty – Angola
- Bishop Z. Kamwenho – Angola
- Bishop Bernardo Governo OFM Cap – Mozambique
- Bishop Paulo Mandlhate SSS – Mozambique
- Bishop Sebastian Khoarai – Lesotho
- Archbishop G. Daniel – South Africa
- Bishop M. Biyase – South Africa
- Archbishop P. F. Chakaipa – Zimbabwe
- Bishop T. Chiginya – Zimbabwe
- Archbishop Cassidy – Apostolic Delegate
- Fr. John Coleman – Assistant Secretary General
- Fr. Brossard – LCBC Secretary General
- Fr. Scholten – SACBC Secretary General
- Fr. Randolph ZCBC Secretary General
- Fr. T. Page – Social Teaching
- Fr. Le Scour – Migrant Labour
- Fr. Schmitt – Missio
- Fr. Magrath – Canonist
- Mrs De Souza – Interpreter
Cardinal McCann returns from Rome in 1965. He represented SACBC on the General Assembly of IMBISA (Photo: Southern Cross)
Special Executive Meetings
Some special executive meetings were held, which dealt with the resolutions of the Fourth General Assembly to ensure their implementation, but also, particularly, in preparation for the First Plenary Meeting of the Bishops. The first such meeting was at the Archbishop’s House in Maseru, Lesotho on 20 – 23 January 1982. The second took place at Chishawasha Seminary in Harare, Zimbabwe on 14 – 16 July 1982, and the third at Holy Family Convent in Manzini, Swaziland on 13 – 18 January 1983.
There had been suggestions at the Vatican that Pope John Paul II might visit Southern Africa at some stage in the future. In 1982, “following informal contacts with the Holy See, it was clear that the best arrangement for a papal visit would be to have it in conjunction with a plenary meeting in Zimbabwe. May of 1983 was chosen as the best time” (IMBISA so far). However, at a special executive meeting held in January 1983, a response from the Holy See made it clear that it would not be possible for a papal visit to take place in May, but they would consider November if IMBISA wished it so. This led to the postponement of the May plenary meeting so that it could coincide with the suggested date of the papal visit.
The special executive meetings, apart from addressing other organisational matters, were in fact a preparation for the plenary assembly, which became a permanent feature of IMBISA. The plenary assembly was to become the supreme authority in the governance of IMBISA. It constitutes all the member episcopal conferences of IMBISA and any Cardinal Emeritus residing in the region who is not a member of any episcopal conference. Plenary assemblies were to be held every three years. It is here that the president, vice-president and secretary general are elected, standing committee members are confirmed, commissions departments are set up and their byelaws approved. So, it can be seen that the era of plenary assemblies represents the era of maturation for the regional grouping.
Sources
Marizane, Antonio Santos. 2001. A history of the Inter-regional Meeting of Bishop of Southern Africa: from 1974-2001. IMBISA, Harare, pp. 24-28.
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.