Ad Laos - To the People of God – July 2023

The text of Archbishop Thabo's July Ad Laos, published in the Cape Town diocesan newsletter, Good Hope:

This past month has forced me to pause and spend a disproportionate amount of time absorbing God’s mercies, which the Bible says are new every morning because of God’s unceasing and steadfast love for each of us. I can only respond by saying “Praise ye the Lord and the Lord’s name be praised!”

The world and global ecumenical family have recognized a number of South Africans who have “wallowed” in such mercies, becoming part of the cloud of witnesses as we serve God together and on behalf of the faithful in society and God’s world. I praise God as we congratulate one of our own, the Revd Courtney Sampson, for receiving the Hubert Walter Award from the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace.  

In the broader ecumenical family, we congratulate Archbishop Stephen Brislin, my Roman Catholic counterpart in Cape Town on being named as Cardinal-elect. On your behalf, I issued a public statement saying how privileged I am to work with him, and how thrilled I was to learn of a well-deserved appointment. The Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Town and the Catholic Church in South Africa are also to be congratulated on producing yet another Cardinal of the Church.

Upon receiving the Lion of Tutzing Award in Germany recently, for which I am grateful, I responded with this acknowledgement:

“I receive the award on behalf of the many who, in Johannine words, have said, 'Come and see, Thabo, we have found Jesus,' for the many from all walks of life who are marginalised, for the poorest of the poor without running water or proper sanitation, and for those who support my ministry. They are, as my co-recipient, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, said, the 'tailwinds' which sustain us in doing justice.”

Following the visit to the Tutzing Protestant Academy in Bavaria, I spent some time in Leck, also in Germany, for a time of retreat and contemplation on what I have described as my “the sacred lone search for King Mamphoku’s skull”. (King Mamphoku was my great-grandfather, who was beheaded by forces of the Transvaal Republic in 1895, and whose skull went missing.)

I am grateful for my physical and spiritual journey in Germany, one which brought hope and healing. I would ask of you, my readers: what journeys and pilgrimages of gratitude are you taking or are able to take with a view to seeking healing and planting seeds of hope for yourself, others and all of creation? Please consider doing so if you are not already.

Talking of kings, Lungi and I joined the Bishop of Lesotho at the festivities to mark King Letsie III’s 60^th birthday last weekend. We are grateful for our friendship with the King and give thanks to God for his life and this milestone in it. Blessings, Ntate.

Thank you all for your support of the 30^th anniversary of the College of the Transfiguration, and for your generous gifts to this, our only residential theological college. If you have not already given, contact the College for details of where to send your donations: You can use admin@ or registrar@ with the College's email host address, which can be found here>>

Thank you too for your donations in response to the Eluvukweni Lenten Appeal donations. Even though we are long past Easter, please do continue to send gifts – I have a dream that one day, sooner rather than later, the people of Eluvukweni in our Diocese will not worship in a tin structure but that their church and Early Childhood Development Centre will be a reality. Give thanks to the Lord for the Lord is gracious, for God’s mercy endures forever.

As Good Hope went to press, we received news of the devastating explosion in a central Johannesburg street, killing at least one person and injuring dozens of others, some seriously. We pray for the victims and that the cause will be found and the conditions which caused the explosion rectified.

On a final note, please pray for the election of a new bishop for the Diocese of Christ the King in southern Gauteng. Their Elective Assembly takes place on July 26 and 27.

God bless you

†† Thabo Cape Town