Cardinal Napier: The Church must stand with “the widow, the orphan and the stranger” amid South Africa’s migration tensions

By Shiela Pires– Johannesburg

As South Africa experiences growing tensions over migration and a rise in anti-migrant protests, Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier OFM has called on the Church to remain at the forefront of defending human dignity and fostering dialogue.  Speaking to Vatican News after a Social Cohesion Dialogue hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Durban, the Archbishop Emeritus of Durban and Apostolic Administrator of Eshowe said Christians have a biblical duty to care for the most vulnerable in society.  “The Church must continue its efforts to make sure that it is in the forefront, talking about the widow, the orphan and the stranger,” Cardinal Napier said. “That is our biblical duty.”  The dialogue, held at the Diakonia Centre in Durban, was organised by the Archdiocese’s Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JPDC) and attended by representatives from Africa Unite, the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council (KZNCC), the International Humanitarian Organisation for Migration (IHOM), the March and March Movement, ProBono.Org, Lawyers for Human Rights, Refugee Social Services, and members of the local community.  The gathering took place amid increasing anxiety over migration, with anti-migrant demonstrations spreading across several provinces and some groups promoting a 30 June deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. Government authorities have repeatedly stressed that no official ultimatum exists and have warned citizens against taking the law into their own hands.

In recent weeks, countries including Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, and Nigeria have begun repatriating some of their citizens from South Africa following attacks and threats linked to anti-migrant unrest. Reports indicate that thousands of citizens have already returned home, while more have registered for voluntary repatriation programmes.

Tensions emerge during dialogue

Cardinal Napier recalled that the dialogue was initially proposed by the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council and later coordinated by the Archdiocese of Durban.  Organisers intentionally ensured that refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants would have an opportunity to tell their stories. “The theme was simple,” he explained. “How do we promote social cohesion between migrants and resident South African citizens?”  However, the atmosphere became tense when representatives of the March and March Movement, one of the groups advocating for stronger action against illegal immigration, addressed the gathering.  “We got a deluge of venom,” Cardinal Napier said. “There were no facts, no evidence. Everything was blamed on immigrants and immigration.”  He said many participants had come hoping for understanding and dialogue. “Instead, they felt hurt and abused,” he said. Cardinal Napier nevertheless believes the meeting was important because it revealed the depth of the divisions and the need for continued engagement. “This is only the starting point,” he said. “Dialogue does not mean we will all agree. There will be times when we disagree, but we must respect one another in our disagreements.”

Participants at the Social Cohesion Dialogue in Durban   (Chris Devers)

Beyond immigration

For Cardinal Napier, the migration debate cannot be reduced to questions of jobs, schools, or hospitals.  “This is not simply about immigrants taking jobs or places in schools or hospitals,” he told Vatican News. “This is a political thing.”  He warned against narratives that place sole responsibility for South Africa’s social and economic challenges on migrants.“The government is there, not the immigrants,” he said during the dialogue. “Immigrants do not control Home Affairs. The government has that responsibility.”  His comments come as the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) and the South African Council of Churches (SACC) have both condemned violence and intimidation directed at migrants and refugees.  In a pastoral letter issued in May, the Catholic bishops described attacks on migrants as “a grave assault on human dignity” and warned politicians against exploiting migration concerns for political gain. Meanwhile, Archbishop Sithembele Sipuka, President of the SACC, called on Christians and all people of goodwill to reject xenophobia and uphold the dignity of every person.

The human face of the crisis

For Cardinal Napier, the debate over migration became deeply personal after the meeting ended.  “I sat down to have lunch and four immigrants came to sit with me,” he recounted.  “Three of them were widows with children. The fourth was married and also had children.” All of them had legal documentation and were living in South Africa lawfully. “But they are living in fear all the time,” he said. “Anyone can come and challenge them.”  The encounter reminded him of the biblical mandate that believers are repeatedly given in Scripture. “The Bible keeps speaking about the orphan, the widow and the stranger,” he said. “We are called to be kind, just and helpful.”

A call to peace

Asked what role the Church can play in the current climate, Cardinal Napier outlined three priorities: providing practical assistance to migrants and displaced persons, promoting deeper reflection on human dignity and hospitality, and engaging government to address failures in migration management.  Above all, he said, Christians must become witnesses of peace.  This year marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, and Pope Leo XIV has invited Catholics worldwide to rediscover the saint’s witness to fraternity and reconciliation.  “If there was one thing Francis stood for, it was peace,” Cardinal Napier said.  “I think this Year of Saint Francis is an opportune time for us to intensify our prayers for peace—peace in communities where there are radical differences and peace that comes from understanding one another better.”

Advertisement

At a moment when fear and uncertainty threaten to deepen divisions, Cardinal Napier insists that the Church cannot step back. Its mission, he says, remains clear: to welcome the stranger, defend the vulnerable, and keep alive the hope that peaceful coexistence is possible.