Central Africa has excommunicated the former bishops of Harare and Manicaland.In letters dated May 16, the Dean of the Province of Central Africa, Bishop Albert Chama of Northern Zambia pronounced the “sentence of Greater Excommunication” upon former Bishops Nolbert Kunonga and Elson Jakazi.
The bishops had separated themselves from the church by “withdrawing from the Province of Central Africa, forming another Church, and casting aside the Constitution and Canons of the Church of the Province of Central Africa."
All Anglicans were asked to pray for “these, our erring brothers” that they may “speedily attain true repentance, for their own souls' health and the wellbeing of the body of Church."
On Sept 21 and 23, 2007 Dr Kunonga and Bishop Jakazi wrote to then Archbishop Bernard Malango saying their dioceses had withdrawn from Central Africa in protest to what they alleged was a pro-gay bias in the Province.
Bishop Chama responded that it was “was impossible for them to withdraw the dioceses” from the Province under the terms of Central Africa’s constitution unless it had been authorized by a two-thirds vote of the Provincial Synod.
On Oct 19, he stated the Central African bishops had declared that Dr Kunonga and Manicaland Bishop Elson Jakazi “were no longer bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa.” The sees of Harare and Manicaland were thus declared vacant “with immediate effect.”
The former Bishop of Manicaland, Dr Sebastian Bakare was appointed interim Bishop of Harare in November, and last month the former Bishop of Harare Peter Hatendi agreed to serve as interim Bishop of Manicaland.
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