VATICAN Ambassador to Zambia Nicola Girasoli has said utterances by individual members of the Catholic Church and some clergy in Zambia should not be misconstrued as representing the official voice of the church. Archbishop Girasoli said approximately 30 per cent of Zambia’s population were Catholics and it was impossible that such a large population could hold a uniform opinion on any issue.
The pronuncio said the Catholic Church in Zambia was not interested in any human or political power but the aim of the church was to march in solidarity with the people and to proclaim the gospel.
Achbishop Girasoli was speaking at his residence yesterday during the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
“In Zambia, almost 30 per cent of the citizens are officially declared Catholics. This means that it is impossible to have among such a large number of Catholics in Zambia uniformity of thinking and of speaking on the so many social and human issues that Zambian citizens are facing.
“Unfortunately, very often the single voice of one of our Catholic member or one member of the clergy is confused with or taken as the official voice of the Catholic Church in Zambia. Of course different points of views with which we may agree or not are always welcome and are an enrichment for democracy and a support for a fruitful dialogue in society so we respect the opinion of everybody,” Archbishop Girasoli said.
It was important for the Zambians to realise that the Catholic Church officially spoke through the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) and through the Vatican Embassy for matters related to the church and the State.
He said the church in Zambia was not concerned with indicating to Zambians what they should do or not do, but that the main goal was to serve the Zambians by sharing their sorrows and their hopes and help them, regardless of their religious affiliation.
He said the Catholic Church was serving the people of Zambia through 220 schools, a university and 69 health institutions throughout the country.
Achbishop Girasoli hailed the relations between the Vatican and Zambia which he said had been solid for 45 years.
Education Minister Dora Siliya said the Catholic Church in Zambia had for years championed the cause of the poor, spoken on behalf of the voiceless, fought for social injustice and assisted in the education and health sectors, among other services.
Ms Siliya said the Government shared the same values with the Catholic Church, particularly in areas of reducing poverty, creation of employment and the provision of social services.
“We will therefore continue to cooperate with the Catholic Church as well as to ensure peace, stability and security in the country which are a prerequisite to any meaningful development,” Ms Siliya said.