S.A. Govt in deeper conflict with Churches

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 10

S.A. Govt in deeper conflict with Churches

NZPA-Reuter J I Johannesburg South Africa’s ■ Govern; . ment has plunged deeper iinto conflict with antil apartheid Churches arnid Charges j by Anglican leaders that the country is heading for civil war.l The warning came | as Anglican! clergymen rallied around die black Archbishop, • Desmond Tutu, aijd the white-led Government bar ned a dis; sident newspaper funbed by the jßomar Catholic Church, j I ' | Southern I African Church I leader? held: a crisis convent bnl near Johannesburg tq . win support for Tutu, 'the Nobel peace prize laureate | who has been accused iby President P. W. Botha of preaching .revolution, if. |‘p || The cdnveihtic ri also discussed | thd worsening Church-Statel confroptation ' with J an j lEnglish

Bishop, Keith Sutton, an I envoy of the Arcljbishop; of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. I I Bishop [Sutton said plans for “[concrete action are already jin place”, to respond to possible 'Government [ steps pgainst; Archßishop Tutu. [![ | I “We call on our [people hot to allow the Government I and its propaganda! to isolate them from :their [ Bishops, I including j the [Archbishop,” the I 19 Bishops declared I [in a statement. [ | ; "When the Government; picksjout for attack jndivi-, dual church leaders 1.. it attacks the Church?’l Yesterday the Govern-! mentl. imposed a renewable [threei-month ban on the Catholic Church news-! paper, “New Natior.” I It was the first [time Pretoria had used[ its[ sweeping censorship, powers, decreed I last August.