ATTACKING CATHOLIC BISHOPS
It’s unbelievable that government officials continue to engage in direct confrontations with Catholic Bishops. Every smart politician knows, globally, that the quickest way to be booted out of power is by baselessly attacking Catholic Bishops.
Before I did Giyur in Jerusalem, I worked with the Catholic Church for two decades as a development consultant for all dioceses through the then ZEC and CCJDP (now Caritas). I went to rural areas where the only government the suffering masses knew was the Catholic Church. Way before independence the Catholics provided care to natives who were segregated by the settlers.
The Bledisloe Commission of Inquiry report in 1937 revealed that it was Catholic run hospitals that provided hospital bed spaces for natives (Africans). During the same period what was termed as education for natives was also primarily provided by Catholics.
To be clear, during the struggle for independence the Catholic Bishops (non-Africans) took strong stances against white settlers in our republic. They issued very strong pro-African pastoral letters.
In the post independence era, the messages of the Catholic Bishops on issues of public interest have remained constant.
In case, the ignorant government officials are not aware, pastoral letters are not authored by Bishops. I was part of the process for issuance of pastoral letters. They originate from the grassroots through the Church’s structures of evangelism. The Catholic Church’s evangelism is entrenched in human development of the “whole person” through social services to people irrespective of religious affiliations. Thus, experts, internal (professional workers of the church) and external (consultants), transparently gather data, analyse and aggregate information to arrive at a factual conclusion. The role of Bishops is to simply confirm these facts through their plenary sessions.
It’s stupid and myopic for any foolish politician to ever imagine that Bishops speak their minds on issues – they DO NOT! To a sensible government, what Bishops bring out on issues affecting the country must be taken as A1 free intelligence for action.
If you want to know about the Catholic Church, which is not necessarily a Church, but a global and superior government, ask UNIP, MMD and PF. The current regime started by attacking Bishop Dr. Alick Banda, but now they are attacking every Bishop and priest who calls them to account. Zambia is for all! It does not belong to one group’s fathers.
Have you ever asked yourselves a question, “why is it that the Catholic Church is the only religious entity with embassies in all nations?” Political wisdom starts from the answer to this question. If you call the Catholic Global Government an ordinary “church” then you are mentally deformed.
Take this as a timely warning and focus on delivering on the promises you made. Leave the Proprietors of Dioceses (Catholic Bishops) alone. You will do well to learn and seek advice from them if you have run out of ideas to govern the Republic.
Saviour Chishimba
PATRIOT AND NATIONALIST
UPP LEADER