South Africa's Bishop Sithembele Sipuka will help lead the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue . The body focuses on building relationships between the Catholic Church and other faith communities around the world.
On 3 July, Bishop Sipuka was named among 21 new members. Others are religious leaders from Kenya, Ireland, Brazil, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The Dicastery is headed by Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad and plays a key role in promoting peace, respect and shared understanding across faiths.
Bishop Sipuka is no stranger to this work. He has previously engaged with the Dicastery through the South African Council of Churches, particularly in efforts to support peace in the Holy Land.
He last visited the Vatican for this work in March this year.