DURBAN - Bishop Siegfried Mandla Jwara has been appointed by head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, as the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Durban.
Cardinal Wilfred Napier, the Catholic Archbishop of Durban, made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.
This follows the death of Archbishop Abel Gabuza, who died after contracting Covid-10 on January 17, 2021, just months before he was to take over as the new archbishop of Durban.
Napier received a letter on June 7, 2021 from the Pope’s Ambassador to Southern Africa, Archbishop Peter Wells, who is based in Pretoria, indicating that the official announcement would be published in Rome and South Africa on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at noon.
The letter also announced that Napier would be temporarily appointed as the Apostolic administrator until the 64-year-old Bishop takes up his new role.
In a statement on Wednesday, Napier said God had chosen a man with a long history of going into unknown territory to sow the seeds of faith.
“I invite the faithful of the Archdiocese of Durban to open their hearts and minds and arms to welcome and accept Bishop Siegfried Jwara CMM who has been appointed Archbishop of Durban with effect from 12pm today, June 9, 2021.
“The Lord has given us Archbishop Siegfried, the Lord has taken away Archbishop Abel, blessed be the name of the Lord. Please pray for all of us that we may welcome and do the will of God, in the way that Jesus has called each of us to do,” said Napier.
THE MERCURY