A former archbishop and Vatican official returned Thursday to Rome vowing to continue consecrating married men as bishops - a move which led to his ejection from the Roman Catholic Church in 2006.Emmanuel Milingo told a packed news conference at a downtown bookshop he planned to ordain five new "bishops" in the United States, but not in Italy where "married priests as soon as they hear the word Vatican run for cover".
Zambian-born Milingo, a former archbishop of the country's capital Lusaka, triggered controversy with his 2001 wedding, through which he broke the Catholic Church's celibacy vow for priests.
A few weeks after the New York ceremony, and following a flurry of negotiations including a meeting with Pope John Paul II, Milingo left his bride, Korean acupuncturist Maria Sung - the union was not recognized by the Vatican - returning to church obedience.
But in 2006 Milingo announced he was setting up a ministry for married priests and then ordained four married men as bishops, prompting the Vatican to excommunicate him.
On Thursday Milingo, accompanied by Sung, attended the news conference to present his biography, Confessioni Di Uno Scomunicato, or Confessions Of One Who Has Been Excommunicated, written by journalist Raffaella Rosa.
Mobbed by reporters and numerous well-wishers, Milingo - who was recalled to Rome from Lusaka in 1983 for acting as faith-healer without the Vatican's authorisation - was dressed in the purple- sashed black robe traditionally worn by Catholic bishops.
"If the Holy See represents the Mother, why is everyone afraid (of her)?" said Milingo, adding that despite "the persecutions" he still felt he belonged to the Catholic Church.
Along with "150,000 married priests" around the world, Milingo said he hoped one day to return to the church.
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