The primary reason for the creation of the CPLO in 1997 was to provide a vehicle for the Catholic Church to make its contribution to the new democracy that had recently taken root in South Africa.

There are a number of important issues which do not fall easily under the headings of the various project areas already described. Project VII, therefore, provides the space and the flexibility for us to address these issues. Among these topics are the following: The Sub-themes for this project are: Health Land and Rural Development Life […]

South Africa is no less affected by climate change and associated phenomena than any other country. Indeed, South Africa has one of the world’s highest per capita rates of greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to our reliance on low-grade coal for electricity generation. The country is also under serious threat from changes in rainfall patterns; experts […]

South Africa is no less affected by climate change and associated phenomena than any other country. Indeed, South Africa has one of the world’s highest per capita rates of greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to our reliance on low-grade coal for electricity generation. The country is also under serious threat from changes in rainfall patterns; experts […]

There is a growing ill sentiment towards migrants especially in the countries that are categorised as host or migrant receiving countries. This has resulted in more stringent measures to deter potential immigrants. Since 1994, South Africa has become a magnet for people from all over sub-Saharan Africa, but especially from countries that have suffered war, […]

In 1992, looking forward to the advent of a democratic dispensation in South Africa, our Bishops wrote as follows in their pastoral letter A Call to Build a New South Africa: “Democracy will help to bring political freedom to South Africa, but on its own it cannot solve all our problems. We also need economic […]

While much has been done to promote a human rights culture within the context of a developmental state, there remain many South Africans who are vulnerable and whose access to their constitutional entitlements has yet to be fully realized. These include children, youth and adolescents, people living with physical or mental disabilities, elderly people, and […]

Sub-themes: 1.1. Political Comment and Analysis The key task in this sub-theme is to try to make sense of political developments through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, and to help Church leadership to improve its own understanding of the role it plays in promoting and protecting the democratic order. Following and analyzing the struggle […]