Emmanuel Milingo, the Catholic archbishop who was excommunicated and reduced to the lay state after his scandalous elopement and marriage to a Korean woman, Maria Sung, has made his latest shock appearance as the Third Patriarch of Africa. He was solemnly appointed to the position during a ceremony which took place about a week ago in Barlsarstone Park School, near the Twikatane Farms, in Lusaka, the city where he served as Roman Catholic archbishop ten years ago.
But a similar ceremony had already been held in Cameroon.
It was organised by five more or less autocephalous and self-governing Christian churches, which the Continent is teeming with.
The ceremony in Lusaka took place under the auspices of the Ecumenical Catholic Apostolic Church of Peace.
Milingo was installed as Patriarch of Southern Africa and as such will be in charge of Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville and other neighbouring countries.
The umbrella of Churches that appointed him includes the Old Catholic Church, the Catholic Orthodox Church, the Liberal Catholic of Spain, Charismatic Church of Brazil, Independent Catholic and others from the United States of America and other parts of the world.
“My installation has two meanings – Milingo stated – The first one is that the African Church leaders think I have reached the age to be an elder of bishops. Secondly, they look at me and feel that using my spiritual experience I have greatly contributed to the Church unity. They have seen how I have silently suffered many injustices.”
One of the figures who attended the ceremony was the founder of the Imani Temple of America, Augustus Stallings, a former Jesuit.
The ceremony began with a traditional Ngomi celebration, followed by a Catholic-style mass.
Africa currently has two patriarchs, whose roles are the same as Milingo’s. One lives in Alexandria and the other in Ethiopia.
80 year old Milingo came back into the limelight after a long period of silence, when he attended the “ascension ceremony” for the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who died of pneumonia at the age of 92; Moon founded the Unification Church in Korea and celebrated Emmanuel Milingo’s marriage to Maria Sung in New York, in 2001 (Milingo was still archbishop of Santa Roma Chiesa at the time).
After an emotional return to the Catholic Church and a scandalous escape, Milingo was excommunicated in 2006 and reduced to the lay state in 2009. According to some, the Unification Church has also helped finance the imaginative Zambian bishop’s latest undertaking.
Milingo has founded and leads a movement called “Married Priest Now”, which welcomes married priests and bishops from across the world in an attempt to pressure Rome into allowing priests to marry.
After his much-talked-about escape, he has returned, accompanied by Maria Sung who never leaves his side.
There is talk about the possibility of Milingo becoming Moon’s successor; but this is unlikely in light of the Patriarch’s nomination.
Unification Church leaders are highly appreciative of Milingo and his work.
Moon’s youngest son, the Rev. Hyung-jin Moon was chosen as his spiritual successor whilst his brother, the Rev. Kook Jin Moon will be in charge of the Unification Church’s financial network in Korea and throughout the world.