The Diocese of Tzaneen is hoping that Benedict Daswa, a teacher who was killed for rejecting his tribal beliefs, will be beatified.

How terribly unoecumenical of him.

These things happened in the bad old days of Catholicism when we thought that our Church was the best one. Good thing we have become so much more tolerant today.

Oh, wait.

It didn't happen in the 16th, or 18th, or 19th centuries.

Benedict soon realized that witchcraft was against his Catholic faith. From then on in his private life and also in public he took a strong stand against witchcraft because he said it led to the killing of innocent people accused of witchcraft activities.

He also rejected the use of muti or medicines for protection against evil or for success in sport or other activities. It was this stand against witchcraft which eventually led to his death. A few days after refusing to give money for the purpose of smelling out witches, he was stoned and bludgeoned to death on February 2, 1990.

I suppose, living in primitive backward Africa, he hadn't got the memo yet about the new Assisi Peacelovegroovy attitude of respect we now have for people of "alternate beliefs".

Getting martyred for the faith is just so yesterday, man.

I hope the diocesan officials aren't holding their breath. He wasn't a 20th century pope, after all.