Catholic Church Will Not Retaliate Against Insults, Says Bishop Lungu.
Chipata Catholic Diocese Bishop George Lungu says the Catholic Church will not retaliate against individuals who insult the Church and its leadership but will instead pray for them.
Bishop Lungu says that as long as the pastoral letter issued by the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) ahead of the 2026 general elections is anchored on unity, peace, and justice, the Church will not be shaken by insults.
He noted that some individuals have resorted to name-calling, including referring to bishops as “idiots,” but emphasized that the Church will not retaliate against such attacks.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Chipata Facebook page, Bishop Lungu added that the Catholic Church remains firm in its mission, stating that anyone who attacks the Church misses it all.
Bishop Lungu observed that in the past, some people labelled Archbishop of Lusaka Alick Banda as “Lucifer,” and that today similar individuals are calling the bishops “idiots” for standing up for peace and justice.
He explained that the ZCCB pastoral letter was written to promote unity, peace, and justice, and to condemn any form of violence as the country approaches the 2026 general elections.
The Bishop was responding to a video that recently circulated on social media in which an individual verbally attacked Catholic bishops.
He stressed that the Church will not be intimidated by insults as long as its message continues to preach peace, unity, and justice.
Bishop Lungu was speaking during the closure of the Association of Zambia Diocesan Catholic Clergy Mass held in Petauke District on Tuesday.
I have a lot of respect for Bishop Lungu. He is a voice of reason and a clergy who openly spoke against the excesses of the PF government.
I remember him refusing to accept funds offered by the PF government under the guise of empowerment during the covid pandemic.
Those insulting the bishops are wrong. They can disagree with them in a respectful manner and still drive their point home, that is if they have any. Resorting to insults is a sign that one’s reasoning capacity has reached a dead end.