THE MMD will soon meet the Catholic Church to resolve contentious issues which have brought unnecessary tension between the ruling party and the church, national secretary Richard Kachingwe said in Lusaka yesterday.
Major Kachingwe said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the current standoff between the ruling party and the Catholic Church is uncalled for and should be resolved amicably.
“The Catholic Church is entitled to its own opinion and we should not quarrel with them in the newspapers. It is important that as the ruling party, we engage them in dialogue.
“We are ready and willing to iron out whatever problems between us as long as the church is willing to listen to our grievances,” Maj Kachingwe said.
He said the MMD has resolved to dialogue with the Catholic Church to end the impasse so that both parties can concentrate on fostering economic development.
Maj Kachingwe said all party members have been advised to desist from commenting on matters concerning the Catholic Church until all issues are resolved.
He said the Catholic Church, like any other church, is Government’s partner in national development, hence the need for dialogue whenever differences bordering on national issues arise.
Maj Kachingwe said the MMD respects the opinion of the Catholic Church and its positive views on national development.
“It does not make sense to engage the Catholic Church in verbal war when most of the party members congregate in the same church.
“We want to leave the church out of politics so that they can concentrate on their charity work. We do not want to argue with them, especially in the media,” Maj Kachingwe said.
He said MMD members should stop talking about the Catholic Church because this will aggravate the situation.
Maj Kachingwe said the Catholic Church should also be ready to hear the MMD government’s grievances over priests like Father Frank Bwalya who have continued to attack and discredit government.
He said it is not the wish of the MMD to continue responding to insults and attacks from Fr. Bwalya and other priests.
Maj Kachingwe said individual Catholic priests should not use their positions to attack government but seek audience with it if they feel aggrieved.
He said the MMD does not want to fight the Catholic Church in the media over issues which can be resolved at a round table.
Maj Kachingwe said the MMD is not happy that Caritas Zambia, a Catholic non-governmental organisation,is allegedly engaged in active politics and it is incumbent upon the church to ensure that Caritas stops partisan activities.
Last week, Zambia Episcopal Conference president George Lungu released a pastoral letter addressed to all Catholic Parishes in Zambia, to be read out to parishioners on June 5.
In the letter, Reverend Lungu said among other issueson which the Catholic Church will remain non-partisan is politics.
He also said the church does not promote gay rights because homosexuality and lesbianism are seriously wrong and sinful acts which should not be tolerated. Rev. Lungu also called for peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
MMD belongs to the grave! I remember what Kaunda said about the Catholic Church, he left but the Church is still on. Rupiya and his dogs can buck as much as they want but the Church will remain forever. MMD thieves should realize that the Church is founded on Christ while their party is based on lies. Dora your days are numbered and I am waiting to see you in jail. I pity you because you are unemployable unless you sell yourself to GBM or Nsanda. Big mouth accept that PF is forming the next government.
Here we are again, the Catholic Church is so solid, fighting it one would end up breaking one’s backbone. Its a very good lesson for Dora and other unthinking mass. History has it and History will have it told to the next generation that such is the church founded on PRINCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST who was interest in the welfare of the poor pupulas. When you are immoral dont talk about others’ seeminly immoral yet not. Its a pity that we dont have credible news papers in Zambia. We only have Community radio stations, Muvi TV and Lusaka Times for news. the rest are practicing very cheap politics based on corruption or who feeds them
Good move! We are now being vindicated…when we say this man is a more reliable and credible leader than much of our current crop, people begin mumbling.
There you have it! And if am not mistaken the Major is also a catholic, so you can see this is coming from the heart. MMD and gov’t are not happy about continuous unwarranted attacks on them by catholic priests who are pretending to be representing the entire catholic church and yet the church has done very little to stop this.
Great move sir…
Ha,Catholic priests and Father Bwalya criticizing the MMD? Before you criticize the MMD,walk a mile in their shoes.That way,when you criticize them you are a mile away and you have their shoes.
by the way, where is the former priest bwalya, i mean the former father bwalya?
It is surprising how we have used the term church loosely in these recent squabbles!!!
What is the church really (doesnt church also include the people, doesnt it include followers?)???
much of zambia is christian and the majority are catholic and it is the same within gov’t!!!
why should people try to draw a line? why should people try and divide us as though gov’t is something else and church is something else entirely…Gov’t has a majority of church goers, but why are we making it as though gov’t is unreligious in some way???
Lets face the real issues, catholic church has some individuals supporting sata including caritas zambia and they are doing it as though they represent all catholics in Zambia
too late, they have made up their minds. after mwabatuka ati they dont have children to worry about and also this mundia chap adding fire to the wound elyo mwise ati we need to find an amicable solution, it must be very hot wherever MMD stooges are sitting. Yaba the feeling of losing power is too much for these chaps. People have already made up thier minds mwanya
the church, in this case the catholic church leadership needs to come out openly and state who they are supporting or if they are non partisan….they also need to counsel some of they’re clergy and any other individuals or organisations coming out publicly to be representing the catholics against gov’t!
because at this rate the MMD will also find pro-gov’t priests to start speaking publicly on its behalf
Pro-government priests!?? Catholic priests?! You are a bit detached from reality
flag Simeza says:
Tue May 24 at 6:07 am
Good move! We are now being vindicated…when we say this man is a more reliable and credible leader than much of our current crop, people begin mumbling.
There you have it! And if am not mistaken the Major is also a catholic, so you can see this is coming from the heart. MMD and gov’t are not happy about continuous unwarranted attacks on them by catholic priests who are pretending to be representing the entire catholic church and yet the church has done very little to stop this.
Great move sir…
There is something wrong with the MMD government because what major Kachingwe is say now is what should have been done at the very first time this impass started, but the MMD had first let on imoral people like Dora to insult the anointed men of God. The MMD Should unresevedly apologise for all the insults they have been throwing on the true men of God with. God bless Major Kachingwe , We want peace in this nation and more mmd leaders should imitate major kachingwe’ s thinking.
As a Catholic I believe that the church is too large to let factions under its umbrella.Being that its members come from all walks of life with different political affiliations this is a very dangerous precedence. Indeed reconciliation is necessary, we cannot have such a large religious body becoming political as it can only lead to unmitigated chaos within the church and probably the nation.Lets talk about development, economic and otherwise and less of these trivialities. Nice one MMD.ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION.
First dialogue shud be btn MMD and Dora then Dora shud apologize through all medias to the Church she insulted. Be assured that if an apology appear only on Govt media s, it will do us nothing. Again Women shud be silent where there are men as to the Bible. See now this mess allowing them to speak be4 you Kachingwe man.
MMD mourners have sensed danger. Dora if left unchecked will land Bwezani in trouble because she talks before thinking if at all she thinks.
Father Frank Bwalya and other priests don’t insult,they just tell Rupiah and MMD the truth. Is saying Rupiah is running a corrupt regime and then you give examples of Rupiah’s corruption an insult?
What insulting words did the catholic priests use?
JUST APOLOGISE BECAUSE MMD IS TOO SMALL TO FIGHT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF GOD. HOW DOES MMD INSTRUCT DISGRUNTLED CHAPS OF THE LIKES OF CHIFWEKELO,CHIFIRE AND CHILONDE TO ATTACK CATHOLIC PRIESTS?
Kachingwe go and talk to Dora first of all, she needs to shut up! Even if she is spokesperson or she is fraternising or in bed with who and who…let her calm down, she must check herself before she talks.
Look now the fire you are trying to put out! You are doing a great job by the way but control your people also just like you have asked the catholics to control their priests!
This is how things should go, we need reconciliation in the nation so that Gov’t and all leaders can concentrate on development!
I READ ABOUT A JOURNALIST ASKING RB IF HE HAS GAYS IN HIS CABINET…THAT IS THE NONSENSE WE HAVE FROM SATA, INSTEAD OF TALKING DEVELOPMENT ARE THOSE THE QUESTIONS YOU CAN RAISE?????
PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND DYING WHY NOT ASK ABOUT THAT
To say that priests hve no children is not an insult unless one is an *****ic moron of the most pitiable sort. What is insulting may be is to say priests have children because we are made to understand that they do not have. Or do they? If they do, the they are not celibate. If they are not celibate then they are breaking their own moral code, meaning they are immoral. If they are immoral then they are not better than Dora, meaning they are at the same moral level. Thus, if they insult Dora, she has the right to insult back.
@6 & 8, you speak words of wisdom.
Major Kachingwe, that’s the first step in the right direction. I don’t agree with you when you put a condition for your proposed talks with the Catholics. If you want genuine reconciliation, go in discussion without preconceived ideas on how the Catholics should understand your side of the story.
When you say, “We are ready and willing to iron out whatever problems between us as long as the church is willing to listen to our grievances,” I have a strange feeling that you are trying to justify some attacks on the Catholics due to your grievances. Be careful with what you say as you ask for reconciliation, without being self-righteous.
A direct condemnation of Party officials, pro-MMD NGOs could have really been nice, the way you have singled out Caritas.
This is Political Ploy
“We will bring back dignity to the people of Zambia,” he said.
Sata said he visited the province because a lot of lies had been spread about him.
“Somebody was saying ‘Sata doesn’t like you’. Who am I not to like beautiful people like you? If we are made in the image of God, then there should be nobody living better than the other,” Sata said. “The job of government is to build better houses, better roads and provide good education for all.”
Yesterday ati the Catholic church BLASTED next ati MMD is going to talk to the Church…………… MMD whats your point Kanshi?????
i think that this is good for sizing up each other. obviously the party under pressure is the catholic clergy because they hold the moral high ground. since they have taken that calling, they are supposed to be the shining example of perfection like Jesus. for them they cannot hide behind “to err is human”, that is a luxury reserved for us normal humans. as i said earlier, that ill advised pastoral letter will embarrass the good bishops in so far as it criticizes the mortal humans in government. the rest of the letter e.g. on gay rights and reconciliation is okay, that is what is expected of a non-partisan clergy.
Wamona nomba dola sillier, watuletelela iwe kwindi. For a while zip that red lipstick of yo beak, let sensible people like the major do the toking. You and shikafimo should be caged until election day.
@17, Sata “The job of government is to build better houses, better roads and provide good education for all.” i can’t believe that it is sata talking about education, of all things!!! so he has finally acknowledged that what rb is doing is the right thing? so what is it that he wants to do which rb is not already doing? what is the so called change all about, just to be president? ba pf cadre there you are, another flip flop (albeit good one this time, but flip flop all the same). by the time the election date is announced, sata will be speaking the same language as h.e.r.b. then we will realise that mr sata was not saying anything new after all!
Too late, mwalitukana kale! How can Dora say they have no children to worry about when they spend most of their time worrying about other people’s children!
How can Dora say they are homosexuals!
ZAMBIANS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE !!!!!
P
The powers of God at work.thy shall not insult my annointed ones .
ZAMBIANS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE !!!!!
Please ,stop your fear of the Catholic church(LEADERSHIP) BUT fear GOD.I know that that the Catholic church has a lot of money and fund human social development projects, BUT they use their broad based social and financial standing and strength to the GLORY of THE DEVIL to the suffering of BOTH CHRISTIAN AND NON CHRISTIAN followers. If not how to justify Catholic church leadership keeping quite when Fr Bwalya is given leave to go and insult another party on a political platform of an opponent party and he resumes office without a word of rebuke or correction from church?Sata’s record is clearly documented both from The POST archives and past and present Zambian Presidents BUT the Catholic ngo Caritas and Catholic Leaders campaign for- their own.
i repeat: i think that this is good for sizing up each other. obviously the party under pressure is the catholic clergy because they hold the moral high ground. since they have taken that calling, they are supposed to be the shining example of perfection like Jesus. for them they cannot hide behind “to err is human”, that is a luxury reserved for us normal humans. as i said earlier, that ill advised pastoral letter will embarrass the good bishops in so far as it criticizes the mortal humans in government. the rest of the letter e.g. on gay rights and reconciliation is okay, that is what is expected of a non-partisan clergy.
@25, so that rascal of a priest has been allowed back to the pulpit? as what, “father”? nga chachine kwena ba catolica mulekwatako insoni bane! you are supposed to be society’s image of heaven. nomba ku heaven kwaliba abena father walya? teti bamutamfya ba lesa?
THE PASTORAL LETTER IS AN OPINION LETTER MEANT TO APPEAL TO ALL CATHOLICS,EVEN THOSE CATHOLICS WHO DON’T SUPPORT THE CATHOLIC LEADERSHIP PREFERRED CANDIDATE, TO JOIN THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE CATHOOIC LEADERSHIP PREFERRED POLITICAL CANDIDATE.
DON’T SHUT UP PEOPLE WHO REMIND OF RWANDA CHURCH GENOCIDE.
GOD SAYS FROM THE BIBLE-WHERE THE LAW OF MAN CONFLICTS WITH THE LAW OF GOD ,FOLLOW THE LAW OF GOD.And still GOD says -MY PEOPLE PERISH FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
What I seem not to understand is whether the Catholics have already agreed to dialogue because my understanding is this so called major speaking to the media and no indication as to whether a letter or an form of officially approaching the Catholic leadership has been done. Honestly speaking it’s too late, what damage control will you put in place Maj. Just start preparing the handover ceremony bwana
Dialogue is very important, way to go major keep it up!Hope some lessons shall be learnt form this.
I SAID IT MMD CANT FIGHT THE CATHOLIC AND WIN…YOU HAVE LOST IT OREADY
The Catholic leadership were a disappointment to run to the press and threaten litigation before acting like a parent and seeking dialigue with the MMD. If their position is clean they should have been the ones calling for dialogue when they felf misrepresented. But running to write an inflamatory letter to all members and bickering in the press leaves the Catholic leadership in a compromised position especially that it’s the child that’s now acting as a parent. I’m not speaking against the Catholic church but the calibre of leaders. The Spirit of God guides to reconciliation and I’m sorry we cant see that in the letter and threats of litigation. Well done MMD, you are acting responsibly here. That is providing sensible leadership in the matter at hand.
Can I also mention that it’s clear some priests have engaged in partisan politics, far from providing leadership above the politicians. The Catholic leadership have again chosen to burry their heads in the sand and ignore the problem until it’s reached propotions of alarm and then the leadership choose to threaten those pointing out the unfairness of the wayward priests. I urge the Catholic leadership not to burry their heads in the sand but confront the challenges in their fold. This trend has been exibited in many areas of the world where erring priests have been pampered and stuff swept under the carpet until problems are so embarassing. People should learn from mistakes of others. Please clean up and come out publicly about those in your fold that are putting your name to disrepute.
Comrade Kachingwe, you have a big task of agreeing with the catholics bishops to instruct their priests or fathers to shut up. The problem is these priests will continue with their insults as long as sata is in opposition and hence the govt has to also continue defending itself
The MMD are panicking especially after hearing that the Catholic Secretariat have sent a circular to be ready in all the parishes’ country wide. They know if this went ahead, it will even diminish their chances even further. MMD have been very stubborn and it would be better for the Catholic Church to brush them aside-let them continue manipulating other church organisations speaking for them, those they can easily buy with their money. The Catholic are independent economically and are no push over and hence all those making noises trying to oppress them when they speak the truth are doing so at their own peril!!
TOO LATE, THE LETTER FROM BISHOP LUNGU HAS ALREADY CIRCULATED. I HEAR IT WAS LEAD IN ONE OF THE RURAL CHURCHES IN KASAMA. Hope our party MMD will cage Dolar and stop CHANDA CHIMABA
Ink khuluding you. vote HH
Name: Senior Citizen | Country of residence: ZM | Written: Thursday, 15 October 2009 (10:44)
I have used many variables to reach this conclusion. Should Mugara lose, as a democrat I will salute him and his party with dignity, but then will retire from blog politics and my business. Instead, will enter active politics which has never been on my calendar beyond blogging during free times. But I vow MMD victory in Kasama is undebatable.Name: Senior Citizen | Country of residence: Zambia | Written: Friday, 16 October 2009 (15:39)
21001Someone has asked “Hello Mr Senior Citizen-are you going to retire from blogging” Quote
ANSWERI’m a man of my words
we have lost the fight against the catholic church,so dola my darling just apologise or else i will be decampaigned on june 5. kachingwe my boy apologise and tell lifwekelo,mumbi,chifire and our supporters not to attack these catholic priests,they are so powerful.
Come on ignore them..they are not the only church in Zambia..moreover not all catholics are PF. Meeting them will be making them big headed for nothing.MMD wake up from your slumber and run the country. The catholic are not a government…they can as well to back to rome where they hail from…
The problem is that some catholic priests have political agendas that most members of the catholic church are not aware of. The fact is a number of Catholic priests are not happy that none of the past presidents including the current one, are catholic. Some of the priests especially the bemba speaking who believe that the Zambian Presidency is the preserve of the bemba speaking cannot stand RB being in State House. The whole problem started with Frank Bwalya and the Post who unleashed hatred for RB which caught on like wildfire. Some people cannot even say why they hate RB apart from what they from the catholic priests in the Post. Lets not forget Rwanda. Hatred is sewed in small dosages until it grows to monster levels.
Where do the Bemba speaking people come in? Why do some of you chaps hate Bembas with so much passion? Live to Love if you want to Love to Live.
Is there anything wrong with the Catholic church complaining when insults fly their way in black and white? Mulekwata amano mwebatu bamo … what ever your tribe!
The only thing upnd and mmd is able to articulate is HOMOSEXULITY.
Maj Kachingwe, first apologise with your Rupiah Banda to the Catholic Church and uphold + respect the fundamental right of conscience. Agenda 1. No corruption during elections 2 Freely handover power to the genuinely elected President. No Ivory Coast style handover
Maj Kachingwe, the dialoge that is required now is INTERPARTY. Genuinely dialogue with Patrioc Front and other participating political parties in the elections, plus on the sidelines with the genuine civil society, not Sir Alex Ferguson-bubble-gum-mouthed ones. Relinguish the illegal control of public media
Dialogue or no Dialogue with the Leadship of the Catholic Church, RB is winning this year’s elections – finito. The general membership of the Catholic church is in love with the development agenda of RB’s government and will not love to throw this nation into a doldrums. It is a few disgruntled priests and fathers who want to bring chaos in this country. It has been proven by research that men with no children are more to keen to bring violence and chaos than those with children.
Let’s wait and see bane! Good luck on your prediction … I really like your predictions!
Maj. Kachingwe wayamba bwangu ukupeta umucila. Let that shameless Dorah crow on her kneels. You just want to still the Cactholic vote. Don’t worried George Kunda is a Catholic plead for his single vote. We will wait and hear what our Shephards have prepared in their Pastoral Letter to us. Inkama mutima. WALOBA ILYAUMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maj Kachingwe wayamba bwangu ukupeta umucila. Let that shameless Dorah craw on her kneels. You just want to steal the Catholic vote. Don’t worry George Kunda is a Catholic plead for his single vote. We will wait and hear what our Shepards have prepared for in their Pastoral Letter to us. inkama mutima. WALOBA ILYAUMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is clear that there is a section of Roman Catholic Priests who do everything to support Sata while disparaging government at the same time, to bolster their evil scheme. Undoubtedly, this clique of Bemba Priests have taken it upon themselves to attempt to usher in state house a President who is both a Bemba and a Roman Catholic by religious affiliation.
This being the last shot at the Presidency, Sata will do everything in his power to put up a good fight, though this hindered by his poor heart condition. This clique of Bemba Catholic Priests are acting as Sata’s moral boosters, availing a platform for him to believe that he can actually make it. But the fact is that Sata will not be allowed that privilege for the danger he poses. His own mistakes have ensured that at least 5 out of 9 provinces in Zambia will give a resounding no vote, no mater how much dust he has grown accustomed to raise.
Western Province, Southern Province, North-Western Province, Central Province, Eastern Province will never give a majority to Sata, never. Luapula this time around will be the final nail in the coffin, for a Political career that has been riddled with shameless flip flopping.
The onus is up to Sata, whether he should exit from the political scene with dignity or shame
Whether they come dressed in scallert, in their traditional long robes, with an edict in scroll form, with a seal from the pit of hell itself, this chapter will not end with Sata ushered into Stae house.
The MMD has its tail between its legs now. You don’t insult the Catholic Church and get away with it. The MMD should play with the Born Again churches whose pastors can easily be bought with brown envelopes not the Mighty Catholic Church.
It is a honor and a privilege that one should stand on the side of good, against a vicious enemy that draws its strength from the pit of hell, to stand even as a lone man in face with a Goliath whose greatest mistake has been to defy and insult the Host of Heaven. Indeed, it is a battle worth fighting, to the end.
The utter venom of their abominable schemes dressed in all manner of deceitful religious practices humanly speaking can not be overcome, but except by the sword of the spirit which and the testimony of his word. The blood the have spilled everywhere in the world over time, the abuses they commit, molesting millions of boys over the world does not satisfy them a bit. What controls them is greater than what they presume they are serving.
The weight the Catholic Church presumes to hold sway over Zambia is expressed as having a threatening influence, clearly out of line with its religious and moral standpoints, a force that overrides the religion it presents itself to be.
Am Catholic, but my dislike for MMD is not because some priest has told me so. Its the arrogance by MMD cadres that annoy me. Imagine we are watching soccer match& this MMD official comes in and orders us to switch to ZNBC TV or else he will the police
NO. 53 Iwe I wish you knew with all my fellow catholics who are writing ” some” rubish that I was once a nun, I did not do my last vows due to what I saw in the convent. I am not good at washing dirty linen in the pablic
#5,22 pf government, leave father Bwalya out of this rubbish chikala chobe nge mbwa
There nothing to dialogue between the church and these crimanals. The church is LIGHT and MMD is Darkness and the two can not mix. If anything the church should ask these thugs the Economic value the k500billion Napsa investment in society house. Please church dont sit on the same table with these thieves will bribe you and bring the church in dispute. I a church member, am here by saying No to any dialogue bkoz there is nothing to dialogue. If MMD guys are thieves how is the dialogue going to change that fact and truth? Please church do accept anything from MMD. That whole has insulted church and she should apologise with out meething the priest. She insulted the priest in public and she should hold a rally to apologise. We are tired of MMD.
what ever the fuss in this battle, i for one do not like the MMD as part or gov’ but has any one ever took time to ask why is owez tha catolic church up against gov’ and not any other church like new appostalic chuch, Sevnth day, Jehova’s witnesses? for once can the catholic church focus on more Godly issues than political stunts and making the image that there priests spoilt with little boys. to the Catholic church wether you are a church or political party; you can’t serve two masters.choose one area to focus your attention either God or politics.
Thanks