Maravi

Priest's Deportation shocks Catholics

Priest's Deportation shocks Catholics
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Thu 09 Aug. 2012, 12:20 CAT

CATHOLIC Diocese of Chipata Bishop George Lungu says the abduction and deportation of the Lundazi-based Rwandese priest Fr Viateur Banyangandora is a serious violation of human rights that has shocked the Church to the bone. And Bishop Lungu has appealed to Catholic priests not to be intimidated by anyone as they are ordained to preach the Gospel even in the face of persecution.

Fr Banyangandora, 40, a priest of Rwandese origin, was last Monday picked up by a combined team of security wings from his residence in connection with a homily he delivered on Sunday which was seen to have been inciting people to rise against the government.

In a statement addressed to all priests, religious sisters, brothers and the laity of Chipata Diocese to be read on Sunday August 12, Bishop Lungu stated that he, like the rest of the Catholic Church, was still in a state of shock that such a thing could happen to a priest and the government does not care to explain as to why he was abducted and deported.

He stated that the deportation of Fr Banyangandora must be immediately revoked and no one would be allowed to silence the voices of priests.

"I first learnt of the abduction of Fr Viateur on Monday July 30 around 17:00 hours when he, himself phoned me. He asked for permission to meet me in Chipata before proceeding to Lusaka where he was being taken.

I met him at Chipata Police Station where I had a brief chat with him. He told me that the security officers who took him did not clearly explain to him the reasons for his arrest except that it was in connection with Sunday Homily in which he spoke about cotton prices," Bishop Lungu stated.

"He assured me that he never attacked government in any way. His message was about sharing between the haves and the nots as the readings of the day were saying. On the day before his abduction, Fr Viateur spoke passionately about the plight and poverty of his parishioners and the people of Lundazi. He was exercising his prophetic ministry as any Catholic priest would and should."

Bishop Lungu stated that he was grieving with the parishioners and people of Lundazi who have been unjustly deprived of a pastor.

He said the deportation of Fr Banyangandora was great injustice that had been done to the Church by the government.

Bishop Lungu said the deported priest was "a good priest, a man of peace and integrity" adding that no amount of explanation would ever convince the Church that he would have behaved in a manner that would cause a breach of peace of the country.

"In Lundazi, I am reliably informed that Fr Viateur was interrogated on Monday 30th July 2012 by various officials, including the District Commissioner (a politician!) Fr Viateur was later that day brought to Chipata where he was further interrogated by a combined team of Immigration, Police and Office of the President (OP) agents.

During his interrogation and traumatising ordeal, he was not availed a lawyer and not a single diocesan official was present nor notified of Fr Viateur's arrest," Bishop Lungu stated.

"Without being charged, Fr Viatuer was later in the evening, driven to Lusaka in the night. From then on there is a blackout of information. Where was Fr Viateur taken? Was he beaten, tortured? Was he being fed? What did they do about his diabetic medicine? His BP medicine? What really did the State do to Fr Viateur? We will need answers. What crime did Fr Viateur really commit? Has preaching the Gospel in a so-called Christian Nation become a crime?"

Bishop Lungu stated that when Fr Banyangandora was being held by the security wings, he and colleagues from the diocesan administration of Chipata Diocese made several and frantic attempts to secure his release but they failed.
He stated that his administration had spoken to politicians, heads of the various security wings both in Chipata and in Lusaka but in most cases the people that were spoken to were tight-lipped and did not want to give any information.

Bishop Lungu stated that most of them were overzealous, not notwithstanding the fact that they were clearly afraid for their jobs.
Bishop Lungu said he personally even phoned and spoke to President Michael Sata on the issue who only promised that he would get back him.

"We were kept in the dark about the safety and the whereabouts of Fr Viateur for four days until the announcement after the deportation by the Zambian government on the evening of Thursday August 2 by the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Edgar Lungu who finally confirmed, through the media, of his deportation from Zambia to Rwanda.

The reasons given were that our beloved priest was deported for violating the laws of Zambia and that his conduct was found to be a danger to peace and good order in Zambia contrary to Section 39(2) of the immigration and deportation Act, No. 18 of 2010. Even after this confirmation, there was no courtesy on the part of government to inform me about the plight of our priest. I too, heard it through the media," Bishop Lungu stated.

He stated that the PF government was voted into the government on a popular platform of correcting the injustices of the past and entrenching good governance and a democratic culture where the rule of law would reign supreme.
Bishop Lungu said the Church never thought there would be a day in the current government when the freedom of expression, let alone at the pulpit, would be criminalised in the country.
He stated that the government must instead address real issues that were affecting the poor.

"Notwithstanding the fact that Fr Banyangandora holds a Rwandan passport, his human and constitutional rights have been grossly violated by the state. The way he has been treated flies in the face of natural justice. He was not given opportunity to be heard; he was not allowed legal representation of his choice and he was detained in secret location," Bishop Lungu stated.

"To all the faithful, it may take one week, one month or many years but we will not rest until justice and truth are served in this matter. We believe that justice and truth will be served one day! Fr Viateur will one day return to us. Could the deportation of Fr Viateur signal the start of worse things to come for this community and for our priests? Only God knows."

Meanwhile, Bishop Lungu has appealed to priests in the country to be fearless in spreading the Gospel, saying by doing so, they will be carrying out the prophetic role of being the conscience of society.

"As Jesus said, 'do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Gehena (Matthew 10:28)'," Bishop Lungu said.

Labels: CATHOLIC CHURCH, GEORGE LUNGU, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 12:49 PM