Bishops Asked to Reprimand Fr Mpinganjira over Sexual Woes, Nyasa Times, October 21, 2008

Bishops Asked to Reprimand Fr Mpinganjira over Sexual Woes

Nyasa Times
October 21, 2008

http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/1641.html

Malawi Catholic Bishops have been persuaded to reprimand Father Joseph Mpinganjira over sexual scandals.

In a letter written to the head of Catholic church in Malawi, His Grace Archbishop Traciscious Ziyaye, the Catholic Christians have asked the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) to discipline Fr Mpinganjira.

Pope Benedict XV1 : Sex abuse scandal by priests has caused a deep shame

According to Sunday Times newspaper, Fr Mpinganjira is being sued in the High Court of Malawi for causing break down of marriage of Mr & Mrs Mtande. He is being accused of adultery for sleeping around with the wife of Mr Mtande.

Fr Mpinganjira who has been Secretary General of the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi is also embroiled in another sex scandal as he was caught red handed with a married woman in Namibia.

The woman supposedly left the country for a college called MANCOSA.

"Last year I caught [Fr Mpinganjira] red handed with my wife in Namibia, having caught them again 6 months earlier at Capital Hotel.

"The Bishop Mkhori of the Lilongwe Diocese and the Archbishop Ziyaye were informed and the Priest was sued in a divorce case as the second respondent, however he is happily practicing and there has been no reprimand or behavioural change in the least," wrote a hubby victim identified as Sungani (http://www.e-malawi.blogspot.com ).

The Catholic Church has lived with the sex scandals and priests have been admonished when the stories go public only. The Catholic priest is also rumoured to have sired children to different women.

"The leadership of Catholic church in Malawi should act on Fr Mpinganjira and all clerics who have betrayed their priestly obligations and duties by engaging in immoral behaviour," reads a petition to the Archbishop.

Pope Benedict XVI in April while on a visit to US said the sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church by priests has caused a "deep shame" and called it "gravely immoral behaviour".