By NATION REPORTER
THE patently negative and highly inflammable theology being preached by
emeritus archbishop Telesphore Mpundu is at total variance with the inclusive
message preached by Pope Francis who has called for Christian unity, a former Catholic Priest Evaristo Kalyati has said.
The Arch Bishop he said, had no regard for the inherent goodness that God bequeathed in humankind, All he saw was negativity and corruption in the political leadershi.”He does not see corruption in the opposition and among the people he is speaking for and worse still he has no regard for other churches”
He said archbishop Mpundu’s claims, for instance, that some churches had been bought by politicians was an affront to the Catholic Church itself which had received assistance from the Government and the President in person.
The suggestion that some churches were less than dedicated to Gospel values was
offensive and required immediate address by the Catholic Church, he said.
“What I know is that the Catholic Church offers counsel to politicians in a much organised manner and not from the public platforms, newspapers and social media which the archbishop is doing by associating with secular political institutions,” Kalyati said.
He called on the Bishop’s conference to take a stance on the archbishop because of the discordant messages which were putting a strain on the message of inclusivity preached by the Pope.
“Lusaka cannot have two Archbishops. The Pope retired archbishop Mpundu who must give way to established offices recognised by the Vatican. The Pope had his reasons to let him leave the Diocese.
“He should stop making disparaging statements which are causing confusion in the church, because the Catholic Church harbours members from different political persuasions and clearly the archbishop has taken a position in favour and has been seen to associate with members of the UPND,” he said.
Political issues, he said, were personal and not subject to ecclesiastical dictation.
Archbishop Mpundu recently incited violence by claiming that there would be widespread bloodshed if government intolerance of divergent views was not checked. He also argued that Zambia was not a Christian nation even when it had been constitutionally declared so.
