Southern Africa's Catholic bishops have criticised priests who divert from Christianity and act as witchdoctors, fortune tellers and traditional healers.

|TOP|The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, which represents bishops in South Africa, Swaziland and Botswana, said on its Web sites some priests were adopting the traditional African practice of calling on ancestors for healing.

The bishops ordered priests to "desist from practices involving spirits", and to steer clear from witchcraft, fortune-telling and selling spiritual powers or magic medicines.

"The belief that ancestors are endowed with supernatural powers borders on idolatry. It is God, and God alone, who is all-powerful while the ancestors are created by him," said the pastoral letter to priests issued earlier this month.

Many in Southern Africa turn to sangomas -- or traditional healers -- to cure illness, ward off evil spirits and even improve their sex lives. Sangomas, who play a key role in rural communities but are also revered by many in towns and cities, call on ancestral spirits to heal and give advice.

Some Christian sects, like the South Africa-based Zion Christian Church, fuse traditional African beliefs about the power of the ancestors with orthodox Christianity.

The Southern African bishops said Catholic priests should instead heal in the name of Jesus Christ, and should tend to the soul, not just the body.

|AD|In other news, BBC explains how many parts of London with large African populations are regularly leafleted by traditional “spiritual healers”, who proclaim they are doctors and professors, and profess themselves as being able to defeat black magic.

Likewise, these “healers” divert away from core Christian teachings, and some even present themselves as bona fide Christian leaders in order to gain the respect and trust of vulnerable members of the community.

Dennis Tongoi, the African Region Director of Church Mission Society, spoke out against those committing acts of abuse against children in the name of God.

Calling for a distinguishment to be made, Tongoi told how some of the rogue churches and pastors did not even own a Bible, let alone read its teachings.

“Any ministry that harms people and calls itself Christian, is not Christian!” he declared.

Pastor Irukwu, who is also Chairman of the largest denomination African-derived Pentecostal churches in Britain, said, “It is extremely important to have this research published. We don’t know the truth and real extent of what we are dealing with, and rumours are beginning to circulate.”

Irukwu continued, “We are concerned that unless the government handles this wisely, it could in fact drive a wedge between black-majority churches and the wider society, particularly when the newer churches are beginning to make their contribution in addressing some of society’s problems.”

Calling for the government to consult with the black churches more effectively, Irukwu said, “We know it is an immensely difficult position of responsibility, and we want to share that responsibility in order to help them get things right.”

Debbie Ariyo, Executive Director of AFRUCA has called for places of worship to become sanctuaries for vulnerable children, and added: “We need to work hand in hand with our faith communities for the protection of our children.”