LUSAKA – Catholic Priest Father Moses Gladson Phiri has launched a blistering attack on the Vatican Ambassador to Zambia, Archbishop Gian Luca Perici, accusing him of failing to perform his duties following the recent arrest of Lusaka Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda
Speaking during a live broadcast on Christian Nation FM, on the popular program Sunday Chat hosted by Frank Augustine Chakanga, Father Phiri openly condemned the diplomatic representative of the Holy See.
The outspoken clergyman declared that Archbishop Gian Luca Perici has “betrayed” Dr. Alick Banda by neglecting to offer the necessary diplomatic or ecclesiastical defense for the embattled Lusaka Archbishop.
Father Phiri argued that the Vatican Ambassador’s silence and apparent inaction amid the state’s targeting of senior Catholic leadership amounted to a abandonment of his primary pastoral and diplomatic obligations in the country.
The comments follow the high-profile arrest of Archbishop Alick Banda by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC). Dr. Banda was taken into custody on charges of possessing property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime, specifically relating to a Toyota Hilux motor vehicle. While government officials maintain that the investigation is strictly a legal matter involving an individual, local Catholic clergy and opposition figures have vehemently denounced the arrest as an act of state-sponsored political persecution.
Fr. Phiri’s public remarks highlight growing friction within the Catholic Church regarding the Apostolic Nuncio’s neutral stance. Critics argue that the ambassador should have robustly scrutinized the state’s allegations against Dr. Banda rather than allowing the public prosecution of a top prelate to proceed unchecked.
The Vatican Embassy in Lusaka has yet to issue a formal response to the brewing clerical rebellion.
This fellow criminal of Bishop Banda expects the Catholic mother body to defend stealing??? These are the fools who went into religion for the wrong reasons.
You can not blindly defend anyone without knowledge of what actually transpired.
The courts are in the process of establishing what actually transpired. Only after this process can any wise person make a sensible comment.
In fact the mother body should strip Bishop Banda of that robe until he is cleared by the court. Anyone defending stealing, like this father Phiri should also be disrobed.
Archbishop Alick Banda is NOT guilty of anything yet. He’s merely an accused before a court of law.
Abena Gunner, one end of the stealing equation, namely the former ZRA boss, was convicted and is currently serving a 6 year prison sentence. You can continue dreaming about the Bishop not being guilty, but the simple fact on record is that the Bishop was the receiving end of stolen goods. He is even lucky to get bail. RTSA has the bishop’s name on a stolen vehicle. No matter what jimunastiks were used to get there, he is the registered owner and therefore complicit in the theft. His conviction is just a formality.
Of course you do not understand. Catholic clergy do not enjoy immunity from prosecution no matter what rank they hold. That’s the point of my posting. It’s not for me to pronounce any accused person guilty or not guilty.
Ba Gunner, you are right. The Archbishop is innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.
The court has not pronounced its judgement on the matter, the case has not even been heard. We must patiently wait for the court verdict. There is no need to lob missiles at the Archbishop.
So these people will attack anyone who is not in support of them? When some certain individuals claim that there are certain clergymen who are hiding in the pulpit, I think these are the ones they refer to.
Phiri, just know that your superiors know a lot about this issue. They also know you all by character. At the rate at which things are going children will start coming out pointing fingers that this one is my biological father. You guys are just human like us. We drink together, smoke together and do things together. Torn down. The receptionist see you.
Under catholic its fine to steal as long as what you have stolen end up been gifted a most reverend some where an idol is worshipped.
How can he protect him when the latter has clearly chosen to meddle in politics and become a fully fledged PF cadre after receiving “gifts” from the same PF.
The Catholic church has lost face world wide because of characters like Bishop Alick Banda.Its making efforts to restore and recover it’s disillusioned and declining numbers of its faithful.It will nolonger protect its leaders who act with impunity in foreign jurisdictions.Alick has been headlining for wrong reasons and this Phiri wants the Nuncio in embarrassing nonsense