Zimbabwean Archbishop Pius Ncube, who resigned as archbishop of Bulawayo last year and fled the country after a sex scandal, said in London that he plans to return to his troubled homeland even if it means death.Archbishop Ncube, one of the most outspoken critics of his country's political leadership, told a London congregation July 6 that "a shepherd must be with his flock, even if it means death," reported the UK-based Independent Catholic News.
Archbishop Ncube said he had come to England to "pray, study and rest," the report said, without mentioning the church in which the archbishop spoke.
Church officials have said Archbishop Ncube believes his life is in danger and that he frequently has been warned by secret supporters within Zimbabwe's ruling party to be very cautious about where he goes.
But Mariannhill Father Martin Schupp, administrator of the Bulawayo Archdiocese, told Catholic News Service he was unaware of Archbishop Ncube's intentions to return to Zimbabwe.
"I'm in constant contact with him (Archbishop Ncube) overseas and I have heard nothing about this," he said in a July 9 telephone interview from Bulawayo.
Kabelo Selema, who represented the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference's justice and peace department on a monitoring team for Zimbabwe's March elections, said Archbishop Ncube's return would give Zimbabweans "some hope."
"He would speak out for justice as well as comfort those hurt" in the political violence, Selema told CNS July 9 in a telephone interview from Pretoria, South Africa.
Zimbabweans "need someone like Archbishop Ncube to draw them together to work for a common goal," Selema said.
Human rights groups said since March opposition supporters have been the targets of brutal state-sponsored violence, which has left more than 80 dead and 200,000 displaced.
Zimbabwe has the world's highest annual inflation rate, an unemployment rate of more than 80 percent, and severe shortages of basic foods and fuel.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Archbishop Ncube said he had come to England to "pray, study and rest," the report said, without mentioning the church in which the archbishop spoke.
Church officials have said Archbishop Ncube believes his life is in danger and that he frequently has been warned by secret supporters within Zimbabwe's ruling party to be very cautious about where he goes.
But Mariannhill Father Martin Schupp, administrator of the Bulawayo Archdiocese, told Catholic News Service he was unaware of Archbishop Ncube's intentions to return to Zimbabwe.
"I'm in constant contact with him (Archbishop Ncube) overseas and I have heard nothing about this," he said in a July 9 telephone interview from Bulawayo.
Kabelo Selema, who represented the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference's justice and peace department on a monitoring team for Zimbabwe's March elections, said Archbishop Ncube's return would give Zimbabweans "some hope."
"He would speak out for justice as well as comfort those hurt" in the political violence, Selema told CNS July 9 in a telephone interview from Pretoria, South Africa.
Zimbabweans "need someone like Archbishop Ncube to draw them together to work for a common goal," Selema said.
Human rights groups said since March opposition supporters have been the targets of brutal state-sponsored violence, which has left more than 80 dead and 200,000 displaced.
Zimbabwe has the world's highest annual inflation rate, an unemployment rate of more than 80 percent, and severe shortages of basic foods and fuel.
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