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	Priests in Central African Republic End Strike over New Administrator By Mwansa Pintu Catholic News Service May 28, 2009 http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0902449.htm LUSAKA, Zambia (CNS) — More than 40 priests in the Central African Republic launched a one-day strike to protest the appointment of a new apostolic administrator after an investigation of priests' celibacy led to the resignation of their archbishop. The priests from the Archdiocese of Bangui resumed celebrating Mass May 28 after meeting the previous day and deciding to suspend their pastoral activities. In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service, the Bangui archdiocesan chancellor, Father Brad Mazangue, said arrangements were being made for the new apostolic administrator, Father Dieudonne Nzapa-La-Ayinga, to address the priests on the matter as soon as possible. Father Mazangue spoke to Catholic News Service May 28, two days after Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo, 54, following an investigation into priests of his diocese who live more or less openly with women and the children they have fathered. The Vatican announced May 26 that Archbishop Pomodimo resigned under the terms of Canon 401.2 of the Code of Canon Law, which states that "a diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office." Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Vatican press office, said Archbishop Pomodimo resigned because of "insurmountable difficulties in running the diocese." Father Mazangue also confirmed the May 16 resignation of Bishop Francois-Xavier Yombanje of Bossangoa, president of the bishops' conference of the Central African Republic. The priest refused to give details or state whether the two resignations were related. Father Mathurin Paze Lekissan, a Bangui archdiocesan priest, told CNS by telephone that the Bangui clergy had invited priests in other dioceses to join them in protesting the resignation of the two bishops. The news agency Africa News had reported May 25 that Archbishop Pomodimo and several priests in his archdiocese would be sanctioned "for adopting a moral attitude which is not always in conformity with their commitments to follow Christ in chastity, poverty and obedience." The agency said Guinean Archbishop Robert Sarah, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, had visited the Central African Republic and "concluded that many local priests have official homes, children and have accumulated private properties." Archbishop Sarah told Catholic News Service May 26 that he had traveled to the Bangui Archdiocese, but could not comment further. Africa News also reported that priests from nine of the country's dioceses accused the Vatican of being "discriminatory, partial and selective in the assessment of the situation since white priests and bishops are also guilty of the same practices."
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