Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi of the Chewa speaking people of Katete in Eastern province has described the death of Joseph Cardinal Medardo Mazombwe as shocking.
Chief Gawa Undi said Cardinal Mazombwe will be difficult to replace considering that he was the only and first Zambian to be appointed as cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.
ZANIS reports that the traditional ruler, who spoke through his Induna Joseph Chikuta Mbewe, said the people of Eastern province were deeply saddened with the untimely death cardinal Mazombwe.
Meanwhile, Induna Chikuta Mbewe has described the late Cardinal Mazombwe as inspirational to many young Priests and the faithful in the Catholic Church.
He said Cardinal Mazombwe was a pillar of the church who inspired many young men in the church to join priesthood in large numbers.
Induna Chikuta, who was in the same class with Cardinal Mazombwe at St. Mary’s in Chipata, has since wished the family of Cardinal Mazombwe God’s peace during this trying moments.
The late Cardinal Mazombwe died on Saturday last week at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka after an illness and will be put to rest tomorrow at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka.
And scores of catholic faithful yesterday broke into tears as Cardinal Mazombwe’s body arrived in Chipata for the requiem mass at St. Anne’s Cathedral.
During the homily for the late Cardinal Mazombwe, Chipata Diocese Auxiliary Bishop Benjamin Phiri described the late priest as a true servant of the church.
Bishop Phiri said Cardinal Mazombwe was a big inspiration to all the Catholic Church members not only in Zambia but the whole world at large.
ZANIS
He was a great man. The international community agreed to cancel Zambia’s debt because a person of his caliber and standing was spearheading the calls.
He was @ Santa Maria Seminary in Malawi then he formed St. Mary’s Junior Seminary in 1980 in Chipata…..
He was @ Santa Maria Seminary in Malawi then he formed St. Mary’s Junior Seminary in 1980 in Chipata..