Country South Africa Rite Latin Rite | Denomination Roman Catholic Pope Francis | |
Established 17 May 1951 (66 years ago) Archbishop William Slattery, O.F.M | ||
The Military Ordinariate of the South African (National) Defence Force (or of South Africa) is a military ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church to provides pastoral care to Roman Catholics serving in the South African National Defence Force and their families.
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It is exempt, i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province. Since its inception, it has been held by the Metropolitan Archbishops of South Africa's national capital Pretoria (where it is headquartered) and has no proper episcopal see of its own.
As per 2014, it comprises a single parish and only eight 'diocesan' (secular) priests. The current incumbent is the Metropolitan William Slattery, since 23 December 2010.
History
It was established as Military vicariate of the South African Defence Force on 17 May 1951. It originally provided chaplains to the South African Defence Force.
It was promoted as Military Ordinariate of the South African Defence Force on 21 July 1986. Following the dismantling of the apartheid system it now provides chaplains to the South African National Defence Force.
Episcopal Ordinaries
(all Roman Rite)