Ndola Diocese Bishop Benjamin Phiri has called upon the Catholic community to remain calm amidst perceived differences between the Catholic Church and the Zambian Government. The Bishop assured the congregation that the issue would be addressed by the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) during their forthcoming meeting in Lusaka. In his address at the 10th Anniversary celebration of Holy Trinity Parish in Mulenga, Kitwe, Bishop Phiri emphasized the need for unity and urged the faithful to refrain from commenting on the matter, allowing the Bishops to handle it.
Bishop Phiri acknowledged that negative comments had been exchanged between some government officials and members of the Church in public. However, he reassured the congregation that there was no major quarrel or fight between the Catholic Church and the government. He emphasized that both entities were cooperators in serving the country and promoting development, particularly in education, health, and social services. The Bishop highlighted that the Church’s role was to complement the government’s efforts in these areas, as it was ultimately the responsibility of the government to provide such services.
“This message is not addressed to Holy Trinity – Mulenga Parish but rather to everyone in the diocese. In recent times there have been writings on social media and in some newspapers giving the impression that there is a very big quarrel and a big fight between the Catholic Church and the government. I would like to stand before you here to dispel that impression. We have been talking; there is no fight with the Government because the government and the church are cooperators in the service delivery in the country and in development. Especially in education and also in health and in social services. We compliment the effort of the government because it is the responsibility of the government to offer that service,” Bishop Phiri said.
“We are there to compliment the effort of the government. Therefore, there cannot be a situation where there is total breakdown and disorder so that now there is a situation of a cold war or verbal war, there is nothing like that. It is true that a few of our members and a few on the part of the government have exchanged some words which we think were unfortunate to be exchanged in the public sector. I am here to inform you that I received a message from our President (Archbishop Ignatius Chama), the President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) to inform all of you that we are in the process by agreement with government we are in the process of sitting down to iron out whatever perceived differences are there. We have talked with the Government. Those of you who listened to the news I think you saw on the news that the government is doing the same that no one should stand and speaker in the name of the Church about the perceived fight going on, leave it in our hands, some things are too big for you to handle. So you are not adding value by just standing up and commenting which many times you only have a small picture of, you need to have the whole picture to be in a position to comment,” Bishop Phiri said.
Bishop Phiri stressed the importance of unity and peace, both within the Diocese of Ndola and the country as a whole. He urged the Catholic community to refrain from aggravating the situation and attempting to assert power over one another. The Bishop reiterated that the Church aimed to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, and expressed confidence in finding an amicable resolution. He directed priests and religious to refrain from discussing the matter publicly, unless instructed to do so by the Bishops. Bishop Phiri emphasized that maintaining orderliness and peace, which are characteristic of the Catholic Church, was of utmost importance.
These clergy are being starved of PF brown envelopes………..
That is why they are making noise……..
The PF thought bribing churches was development………..
And now the brown envelopes have dried up , the men of god are up in arms…………
Catholic Church is way richer than the gvt ,the church actually sustains a lot of gvt business through charity works , stop eating into propaganda its only pentecostal who are hungry for envelopes
Mwananzambe
You can’t compare what ever the Catholic Church pays their priest’s to what PF used to bribe them with………..
There was real eating for every church in zambia attended by PF……..
Ignorance is the biggest disease in the world. Catholic priests do not need to be bribed by any government. They get looked after by the church and get good retirement. One just needs to look how rich the Vatican City is. It’s a nation on its own. I am not catholic but I know for a fact that the church is worth about $35 Billion. They have invested in Hedge Funds, Investment Banks, Real Estate, Farming the list goes on. The church runs 44,300 Secondary Schools, and 96,000 Primary Schools , 20,000 Clinics, 17,000 Homes for the Elderly, and 5800 Hospitals. Most of these are in developing nations, including Zambia. Maybe the government needs the catholic church to help it pay Debt.
Ignorance is dangerous…….
The Catholic Church in zambia gains very little financially from the Vatican……….
If you think the Vatican is rich and all Catholic priest’s are well looked after, you are naive…..
Catholic priest’s in 3rd world countries are also hasselling to survive
To: Spaka
I am not a regular blogger but I can tell you, that you have nothing to offer in life, apart from seating 24/7 spreading hate, lies and propaganda. Point one priest who was given brown envelopes. The catholic runs a centralized distribution of funds. I am an ACCA Qualified Accountant, I helped to run its books in Zambia on a volunteering basis from 1999-2005, while in a full-time job, which has given me a very good standard of life up to date. The Catholic church has so many projects in Zambia and all funding comes from the Vatican. The money they collect in Zambia is so little to run the Zambia Churches and Projects. The priest in Zambia a well looked after.
To: INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
Thank you for educating some of these delusional souls. I have noted your comments are always fact-based, educative and wisdom offering.
To: Spaka
I am not a regular blogger but I can tell you, that you have nothing to offer in life, apart from seating 24/7 spreading hate, lies and propaganda. Point one priest who was given brown envelopes. The catholic runs a centralized distribution of funds. I am an ACCA Qualified Accountant, I helped to run its books in Zambia on a volunteering basis from 1999-2009, while in a full-time job, which has given me a very good standard of life up to date. The Catholic church has so many projects in Zambia and all funding comes from the Vatican. The money they collect in Zambia is so little to run the Zambia Churches and Projects.
@ Spaka
Catholic priests are poor just like you. Over the years you have demonstrated a poverty mentality and are so stuck in life. Dude find something worthwhile in your life for your own sanity. ……………
This is good guidance from this particular Bishop not that other 1.
It’s not surprising that the UPND referred to Fathers as Lucifer because the SDA have contemptuously regarded those that worship on Sunday, especially the Catholics, as such. This is why Imenda’s sentiments were endorsed. It’s only the fear of losing elections that has caused those in govt to panic and begin to engage with the Church. Most of those that voted for the UPND are mere sympathizers who can easily withdraw that support. There’s no political party in Zambia that has a million members. So I don’t understand why these chaps are bubbling with false confidence. Dare the Catholics and you’ll a large following
Let the church continue fighting upnd. Upnd is an evil force. We all know their leader hh is a freemason. They are now trying to bribe some weak church leaders but it won’t work
Let the church continue fighting upnd. Upnd is an eviI force. We all know their Ieader hh is a freemas0n. They are now trying to bribe some weak church Ieaders but it won’t work
Bishop Banda and his priest need to apologise to the President and the country.
It is time that these clergymen start taking resposibility for their careless words.
The government called you Lucifer for saying that the graphs and what is prevailing in people’s homes are not the same. Fertilizer is at k1500, mealie meal is at k250, fuel at k24 as compared to where the privatization thief found it and what HH promised the people.
The situation was becoming a circus and just begging for some maturity. Its good to see wise heads prevailing on both sides. This is how it should be.
The church mandate is not to shrink froom speaking the truth.
Remember, the POPE is a Jesuit and those who are tired preaching in our Church, please join Father Bwalya.
The differences are not between the catholic church and upnd but rather between some PF stooges in the catholic church and the upnd. Control those stooges then you will see total harmony between the catholic church and upnd.
No. You miss the point. The problem started when HH used graphs to try and convince people that everything is fine. The Catholics questioned HH how his graphs translates to food on people’s tables. HH and his tribesmen Imenda, failing to answer the question went on an insulting spree on the Catholics.
The government needs the church and the church is part of government. The church is comprised of people who some of them sit in government offices and hold very high positions. There’s no need to silence the church because the church members are also citizens of Zambia.
KCI can tradition of churches take you to heaven?
You must know that graphs are one important tool that helps Government to plan and to see whether inflation is setting in the near future and do something good.
In the Bible are many pictural graphs the sawyer throwing seeds; Show me the coin; whose image is this? ; Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
When people give in Churches, don’t they count? And they say so much today. Is that not a graph? Will that counting take you to heaven? No. Is to keep a record and intrinsically that is a graph showing what has been given over the time and it is a good sign.