ABOUT GOVERNMENT & PRIESTS CONFLICT
By Miles B. Sampa, MP (30.05.2023)
There is clearly a standoff between some Catholic Church leaders and the ruling party UPND (and it’s government).
I was born Catholic and grew up as a mass server little boy supporting Priests on the alter every Sunday as they conducted their mass. As a past Mayor of Lusaka, I have potentially attended mass in all catholic parishes in the City of Lusaka and they are many.
Despite being Catholic but as an elected leader , I have come to learn to periodically worship with other various residents in their respective churches as long they worship the same God as I do.
The bare knuckle strong exchange to and from from the ruling government and some catholic priests is apparently all due to the words ‘graph’ and ‘ulutoshi’. Clearly there was some undercurrent brewing and now come to the surface.
There is need for some intervention to get the two sides onto a table and discuss their differences. Discussing a problem is half way to resolving it. I remember the late Father Charles Chilinda (MHSRIP) was very proactive in bridging conflicted sides onto a discussion or negotiating table and more so at highest levels. We talking of the President of Zambia and his SG here and the Archbishop of Lusaka and his Priest at Chawama parish. Bigwigs on both sides. Ideally KK would have been ideal to intervene and pacify but he is no more.
Evidently our Country is short of proactive gurus to help broker peace as needed in the current situation.
Whichever way, our government and catholic spiritual leaders need to resolve their differences if any. The cho-chise (constant arguement) we witnessing is not healthy for the country. When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers. The majority people of Zambia most struggling with economic challenges want to hear and see top level engagements towards resolving their plight and not otherwise.
Tempting but on spiritual grounds I choose not to put fuel to the fire but instead call for immediate dialogue between the government and the catholic priests. A stand off benefits no one parties involved inclusive. Meeting and talking over it is the best if not only way out. May it be so.
MBS29.05.2023