Fr Augustine Mwewa, priest and treasurer general of the Ndola Diocese in Lusake, Zambia, has called for the country's information minister, Lt General Ronni Shikapwasha, to step down for accusing the Catholic Church of “trying to jostle for who they should put into State house, forgetting their mandate".In his address to the Zambian Parliament, Shikapwasha went on to say that "the church in Rwanda took sides with newspapers and radio stations which were fanning out falsehoods and propaganda which led to the genocide".
The report read: "The Church blindly took sides in opposing camps such that it is reported Mr Speaker that after a century of Christian proselytisation the country was catholicized but not Christianized. Ritual was generally followed but the spirit was missing. This became tragically evident for the church, only after April to May 1994, when its people slaughtered their brethren wholesale inside the churches on orders from civil authorities and priests. This, Mr. Speaker, is because the church took sides with men. The Church must take sides with God."
Shikapwasha said: "I see that the church in Zambia is taking sides with man rather than taking sides with God. We see the church in Zambia taking no stand against the things that God abhors. Where is the church when the newspaper is insulting the Head of State? Where is the church when young men are insulting old men? Is it not the church to reconcile God's people in the country?
Others are dishing out second hand clothing in the campaign for the pact. Others feel if a person does not belong to a certain political party, they are not Christian enough. Mr Speaker, all this used to happen in Rwanda before the genocide."
Fr Mwewa said: "He has shown us how shallow he is, he does not deserve to be where he is."
The address came in response to the Zambian Bishops conference which called the President to ease its stance on media prosecutions after journalists accused the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy of harassment. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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