South African bishops oppose bid for registration of religious ministers

July 20, 2017

The Catholic bishops of South Africa have announced their opposition to a proposal for the registration of religious ministers with the government.

Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, the president of the episcopal conference, said that he understood the government’s motivation for the proposal, which is designed to discourage extremist cults. But he said that existing legislation allows for adequate measures to counter the extremists. “The recommendation that new laws be introduced to enforce registration of pastors and ministers is overkill and a response that one would expect more from a totalitarian state than a constitutional democracy,” the archbishop said.

 

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Further information:

• The Bishops: "No to the registration of pastors and ministers of religion" (Fides)