ZAMBIA
Zambian Watchdog
Dear Sir,
I write to seek clarification on your utterance in the Post news paper about the declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation. In a brief quote below, you argued that Zambia can not qualify to be a Christian Nation due to corruption, intimidation, fighting and thieving.
“That is why for me and the Catholic Church, the proclamation of Zambia as a Christian nation is a non-event. It’s a useless proclamation because not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of God. How Christian are we? Just take a look at what happens when we have a simple by-election. Corruption, intimidation, fighting, thieving…is that Christianity?” Archbishop Mpundu.
If indeed Zambian can not be declared a Christian Nation due corruption and other things you mentioned; may I ask you a question? Why should the Catholic Church be a church with so many reported abuses, corruption and scandals at the increase? If the absence of corruption can qualify Zambia to be a Christian Nation, why should the Catholic qualify to be a church with so many shortcomings? If it is required for a society to attain certain qualities to be civilized what more about the church?
MORALITY
The Church should support morality; but this is contrary to the Catholic Church that is in forefront brewing beer as reported by Lusaka Times and times of Zambia.
“The Catholic Church Mansa Diocese in Luapula Province is embroiled in disagreement with a business executive over shareholding in an alcohol business from which the Church has been planning to withdraw. The Mansa Diocese has been in the business of brewing opaque beer through a company called Top Star Breweries, in which it has a strong ordinary shareholding that stands at two million, representing 20 per cent since 2004.”
SEXUAL ABUSE as reported by BBC
In Austria: “A series of claims of sexual abuse by priests has emerged in the Vorarlberg region. Some 16 people have reported 27 alleged incidents there, spanning half a century.”
SWITZALAND: “A commission set up by the Swiss Bishops Conference in 2002 has been investigating allegations of abuse involving the Catholic Church there. A member of the commission, Abbot Martin Werlen, said in a newspaper interview this month that about 60 people have said they were abused by Catholic priests. The alleged incidents are reported to have occurred over the past 15 years”
ITALY: “In June 2010 a high-profile former priest was charged with sexual abuse. Pierino Gelmini, 85, is alleged to have abused 12 young people at a drug rehabilitation center he founded. Meanwhile, a number of deaf men have come forward to say they were abused as children at the Antonio Provolo Institute for the Deaf in the northern city of Verona between the 1950s and the 1980s.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.