Catholic Clergy: Thorns in MMD flesh
By Hilary Mulenga
If the current MMD regime was asked to coin a new definition of the phrase “thorn in the flesh”, the name “Catholic Church” would form part of that definition. The Catholic Church has been a consistent critic of the MMD government. On the other hand the government has deployed every means to disown this seasoned critic such as accusing it of flaming a possible genocide and abandoning its spiritual duties for political ones.
The current strain of relations between the MMD and the Catholic Church cannot simply be relegated to the arena of politics. There are two reasons why this author takes this position. Firstly, the Catholic clergy who have been at the helm of this disparity do not hold any public office. Thus, it is illogical to think that they are advancing their political mileage by criticizing the government. They may be accused of supporting the opposition but it’s difficult to detect political interests in that move.
Secondly, the current MMD regime consists of Catholics who hold higher positions of public office. Among them is the Vice President Kunda who even publicly professes to be Catholic. This may leave out the notion that the Catholic clergy want to push for its members to form an alternative government.
It is difficult, too, to detect the Church’s self-preservation as the agenda for their stance against the government on several issues. The MMD poses little threat to the Church. The Catholic Church is an international religious institution and certainly larger than the MMD. In Zambia, the Catholic Church is more comfortable than the MMD and it’s the latter that, on several occasions, seems to be fighting for self-preservation.
However, the Catholic Church has vast influence in the nation. It is the largest religious institution in Zambia. Most importantly, it waves much of its influence in much populated provinces of Zambia such as Lusaka, Copperbelt and Northern.
The Catholic Church, despite the current disparity with the government, remains a major collaborator with the government in the provision of health, social and educational services. The nation cannot dispense with the Church and it seems suicidal for the MMD to venture into that thinking.
This wider influence of the Catholic Church puts it into touch with the suffering and the poor. Most of its clergy have claimed to speak for the poor and the marginalized. It is understandable because unlike some other religious institutions, the Catholic Church has played host to the hopeless and helpless of society. Its manner of evangelization has not only on the pulpit but also through provision of material help. In most cases, its clergy have also claimed to be voices for the voiceless.
However, the current strain can only be understood when one looks at the occupation of the current MMD government. It is difficult to argue against the fact that the MMD government, over the years, has lost popularity. The MMD party has also been largely divided within its own ranks. In cases where one is threatened, even one’s shadow can be a recipe of fright.
The Catholic clergy, through their incessant attacks, seem to be adding more salt to the wound. They have been a thorn in the flesh of the MMD government. Through their attacks, they seem to be suggesting that the MMD’s time is up. It’s no wonder that the MMD’s defensive tactics against the Catholic clergy are mostly based on fallacies rather than truths.
As long as the MMD government turns a blind on issues that make the Catholic clergy speak out, the disparity will never be abated. Moreover, the disparity will always be a danger to the MMD. Its enough for them to be reminded that 20 years ago, UNIP’s party was spoiled and the Catholic clergy played an indirect but emphatic role in that!
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MMD is being fooled by the impoverished ‘Born Again christians’ who are just interested in material things rather than spiritual. People like shikapwasha are taking advantage of the lack of inteligency of the president who can not read in btwn the lines. That poeple praising him are out to distroy him. Shakapwasha is eyeing for presidency. He wants to weaken the presidents position so that he can put himself in the position to take over. Remember Sata on chiluba’s third term.From the outside he supported it fearlessly but from the inside he was miles away. Anyway you cant teach a 70 yr old dog new tricks. The Unip style of leadership is back.
The author is undoubtedly Catholic. She writes well on everything Catholic. I wonder if we asked, now former, Archbishop Milingo’s views what they would be. My view is that Zambia has NEVER had a Catholic President and that’s where we should start looking at their problems. I also don’t like the way they have been molesting young kids all over the world including Zambia. On the copper belt recently they have broken several marriages. In Lusaka too they have had secrete relationships, to me that makes them unholy and unworthy of condemning other leaders. All of them. I also see them becoming jealousy over the other religions such as the Pentecostals when they talk ill of these other religions. It is also not true that they are the majority religion in Zambia. The Methodists, Dutch Reformed, Moslems, Born Again, Watchtowers and earthiest are all right here in Zambia contributing to the development of Zambia in education, hospitals and so on. I also take great exception to insinuate that Kaunda’s OOP SD killed the Archbishop Mutale of Kasama in that road accident. Indeed if they have proof of this insinuation let them bring it up otherwise this statement is not only careless but foolish. Our intelligence units are very professional especially under Kaunda and that’s why we survived the Apartheid onslaughts during the liberation wars. All these myths about killer intelligence squads are based on ignorance of how our intelligence operates in Zambia. But at the same time the author should get hold of a book “IN GODS NAME” and read more about her faith. Religious wars should be avoided at all costs in our beloved country and its authors like this lady who start them.
The Catholic Church is tampering with tribalist politics. They brought ethnic war to Rwanda and now they want to bring civil war to Zambia. The Bible says this is what will happen when the end draws closer. The Church will become the origin of war and death. The Vatican needs to take control of this beast before it brings turmoil to a peace loving nation like ours. These days, catholic church sermons and hymns are performed in Bemba even when the attendants are majority non-bemba. Tribalism is becoming a major part of our daily lives. What a shame!
There’re no political parties in Zambia. It’s all recycled people. So the change people want is just the name of the ruling party.
I totally agree with the author. I have in many cases adviced MMD top leadership and their cadres to engage with the Catholic Church and surprise enough the Rupiah Banda led govt has embarked on waging all out wars in all fronts the media, Catholic. NGOs and the ordinary citizen who are feeling the hardships despite the govt claiming the economy is doing well. The Catholic has always made it clear that Shikapwashas’ comments must be withdrawn but Shikapwasha refused and this means it has the blessings of Rupiah because Rupiah would have told Shikapwasha to apologise and this would have been the source to reconcil. The question is, is MMD going to suffer terribly in the long run or the Catholic? My understanding as evidence compels me to believe, the Catholic Church has been there before MMD came into being and it is the same Church that played a major and targible contributions for MMD to win in 1991. The Catholic church warned KK to leave officer after the social, political, economic and rule of law were the source of sufferings of the majority of Zambians. KK had a long chat with the late Archbishop of Kasama Elias Mutale at state house and no recordings were done and after that discusion the Archbishop had a misterious accident after leaving state House where KK had invited him and fingers were pointed at state house because of the way he died with the Catholic intelligence and those in OP who did not favour the way the Archbishop of Kasama died. During the funeral procession in Kasama, the Catholic church almost wanted to bar Kaunda from attending. With this suspecion and anger towards the govt this was a source of why the Catholic decampaigned UNIP in every way and MMD had a easy rid over UNIP. So MMD is trading on a hot secure base that will burn it in many ways. I know some MMD cadres will dispute my analysis of the Catholic and MMD relationship and the aftermath of this uneven relationship.The catholic has an upper hand because it accepts and offer real meaning of love and to serve as the teaching of Jesus taught us to do so.
The Catholic Church has long set as its agenda to provide world leadership and unlike alot of other religions this began as a slow but very strategic approach in ‘endoctrinating’ people.
It offered tranning in schools with a discipline that was second to none, it taught not only book education but manual work a learning to be thankful for the little that one had. It made one humble and respectful to each other.
When it saw the undemocratic tendencies it has spoken against for years come to head in 1990 in Zambia it scaled up its operations and the collapse of the USSR provided a brilliant platform for their agenda for change.
One need only look at the list of the first new culture leaders..many where catholic..and they were well educated and trainned,the Mungwi Boys, Matero, Roma, Dominican Convent, Njase, Lubushi seminar to name a few were in the riding seat…the other churches tried to jump on the bandwagon recieving ‘gifts’ from FTJ to support him..
Not the Catholic…they were miles ahead…..they had a strategy in place..and now it is coming full force sadly Sata does not emptoise the vision of a catholic leader for him to get their full support let alone their followers.A leader in the catholic mode is well defined they are judges, lawyers, teachers,researchers, presidents, articulate and educated….
And never under play the voice of this religion they are well researched, equipped and will speak praise were its due and condemn when its wrong…Aver…Aver……not a force to be ignored as is their Weekly letter…