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We’ll defend our bishops, priests – Mpika Diocese

We’ll defend our bishops, priests – Mpika Diocese
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 24 Mar. 2010, 11:06 CAT

MPIKA Diocese Catholic pastoral council has condemned the MMD over the continued verbal attacks on Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu.

In a statement issued at the just-ended pastoral council meeting, leader of the 14 parishes in Mpika Diocese Constantino Kaminsa stated that the insults from Catholic and non-Catholic politicians in the ruling MMD to the top leadership of the Catholic Church were very saddening and insulting to the entire Catholic populace.

“I strongly warn those Catholic MMD cadres who side with the government to stop encouraging and perpetuating wrongdoings, instead they should defend the interest of the poor Zambians who have been living in abject poverty since independence,” Kaminsa stated. “The role of the Catholic Church is to speak for the voiceless, by bringing out issues of injustice and ensure fair play to liberate the captives. There is no such a thing as Ecclesia fund from Rome which Archbishop Mpundu has accessed to beef up the Patriotic Front. This is proper hallucination and total ignorance.”

Archbishop Mpundu was heading Mpika Catholic Diocese before he was transferred to Lusaka.

Kaminsa stated that the Catholic Church members would continue defending their leaders.

“We, the representatives of the entire Christian fraternity of the Diocese of Mpika under the leadership of Bishop Ignatius Chama will forge ahead and defend our bishops and priests who should not be intimidated as they fight for justice and peace of the Zambians for they aim at speaking the truth and nothing but the truth,” Kaminsa stated. “We have unreservedly asked all corrupt Catholic politicians holding public offices to step down as they are a shame to the Catholic Church and its leadership.”

And Caritas Zambia Mpika director Fr Patrick Chibuye stated that Caritas would monitor the voters registration exercise and the 2011 tripartite elections in Serenje, Mpika, Chinsali, Isoka and Nakonde districts.

“This is within our operations and to this effect we want the electorate first and foremost to understand their role, electoral rights and the privilege they have so that they have well-informed minds to effectively come and elect their leaders who are going to make sure that there is good social and economic delivery services and to a greater extent leaders who are going to respect and promote human dignity in their operations,” stated Fr Chibuye.

Labels: CATHOLIC CHURCH, MPIKA, TELESPHORE MPUNDU

posted by MrK @ 2:41 PM