A visiting Cardinal of the Catholic Church has said that the Catholic Church has no role to play in politics.
Speaking on arrival at Livingstone International Airport today, Vinko Puljic who is Cardinal of Sarajevo in Bosnia-Hezegovina said, when the Church sees that a priest is disobedient, it will not just standby and look, but will try hard to put him in line. He further said, if the priest concerned does not reform, then the Church would have recourse to other corrective measures.
The Cardinal was responding to questions on Former Radio Icelengelo Priest, Father Frank Bwalya’s recent involvement in politics.
He said, sometimes priests identify themselves so closely with the people they live with in a particular community, to the extent that they forget that they are priests.
Cardinal Puljic said the Priest’s role is that of giving advice to politicians to lead a nation in a proper way.
And commenting on corruption, Cardinal Puljic said the scourge would always be in existence, but that it is the role of the church to teach about the evils of corruption and other moral activities.
”Corruption shall always be there. It is not enough to just shout to those who are elected as political leaders, but level minded moral principles must be preached to people at all levels,” he said.
The Cardinal is in Zambia to visit Lusu Mission in Sesheke district, Western Province and will leave the country next week on Monday.
ZANIS
I hope these non levitical roman appointed priests take advice instead of pretending to be the moral authority when they fiddle with children. We are all brothers and all of priestly elite so a so called priest advice is no different from the advice of any common man.
where is ka father bwalya by the way.nakaleka no kumfwika.
Imwe ba Kardinal if he sees his family suffering he has to speak, even the Bible states that evil prevails because righteous men sit back and do nothing. So it is their duty if they are wise to speak, A problem yabasungu bambi trying to tell brothers how to live their lives, but when a brother says the same his words are taken as an opinion. Bakabwelele kwamene ba chokela mwe, we have God and that is enough not abafwala ama deleshi hahahahahahahahaha.
Well spoken Cardinal, but don’t forget that the catholic church has been responsible for most of the political unrest in your European history. Africans have never fought religious wars (only tribal!)…not until the missionaries came along.
Well spoken Cardinal,but i think you are not aware of the issue at hand in our country.And those who were asking a stranger Cardinal about Fr.Bwalya,what was the main point of asking a stranger? I wish they had questioned one of the Zambian Bishops it could make abit of sense! How do you just see a stranger at the airpot then you start questioning? Does it mean they had nothing to talk about? Wast of time!
Ba Akapondo#2 nishi you like very much to hear the dust raised by Bwalya and those who are scared of him?
What do you expect from ci Cardinal caku Eastern Europe. Amalabishi! does he know what my mother goes through everyday to put food on the table. #1 Slumdog, dont talk about fiddling with kids because these are the worst.
#5 well said, I could not have put it in any better terms. How do you ask a total stranger about something he has no idea about. I think it is kinda strange for the pipo to ask someone who has just landed and has not yet being given a written report about the subject afterall, this Cardinal has come into zed for a completely different reason and nothing to do with our very own Father Bwalya. For crying out loud, do they have nothing else to talk about? It is like sending an email to the pope in Rome as asking him what he thinks about Father Bwalya of Zed?
Cardinal Puljic statement is valid.
‘ Priest’s role is that of giving advice to politicians to lead a nation in a proper way’
The bishop’s message is loud and clear.Fr bwalya should know his place in society and NOT fueling anarchy in the name of Die or Whatever Zed.He MUST identify himself with a party or just transform his Die whatever into a party if he wants to be in the political arena.
#5(Maria) Are you insinuating that the activities of the catholic church differ from one country to another and an erring Priest or Bishop should be treated likewise by the vatican?The activities of Fr Bwalya were political and were closely monitored by the Vatican.For your own information the Vatican this time around is wary of priests like Fr Bwalya and what made it worse was his penchant to supporting a certain political party which was no doubt divisive to the church.The Catholic church is big but with a small organisational structure which makes it easy to monitor the activitities of its members: Pope—> Cardinals—> Bishops—->Priests.Very simple.Its good Fr B has found his niche in society and he is free to pursue it has a private citizen.
Should read”pursue it as a private citizen”
Cardinal you dont understand our politics. Here what you call advice is called insults by MMD. Talking about levels of poverty is called involvement in politics.
The message from the cardinal is okay if knew what the people of Zambia pass through. It is not a matter of giving answers to what he is not aware of. It is very surprise that even the people we see that they can be in support of us are turning back to us. He is coming from Europe were he can’t spend 1 Euro for a day on his meals. But look at the people of Zambia who going for a less than a Euro for a day for there meals meaning they can use about 30 Euros in a month. It is a shame for us Zambian’s who are outside our country to be in support of bad things we see going around in Zambia. Hope we should work together to make our country better and not for selfishness. Can someone who knows our well give the right information.
The cardinal is right.We appreciate Fr Bwalya’s ideas and reasoning,but we condemn the “means” he was using to push forward.
Mulekeni Bwalya atushe he was just trying to correct the situation, even after he is not speaking issues are coming out the K 27 Billion. What are you doing as Zambians about it just Blogging and nothing more, and most of you who talk too much are out of Zambia all you can do is talk and nothing more so give respect to those who are trying to change things Back home. ALA BA SHETANI
The “A visiting Cardinal of the Catholic Church has said that the Catholic Church has no role to play in politics” for it is a great lesson to all Catholics across the whole world. Hope, this is the position of the Catholic Church from its Pope to all members.
As for “Speaking on arrival at Livingstone International Airport today, Vinko Puljic who is Cardinal of Sarajevo in Bosnia-Hezegovina said, when the Church sees that a priest is disobedient, it will not just standby and look, but will try hard to put him in line. He further said, if the priest concerned does not reform, then the Church would have recourse to other corrective measures.”, this is a clear indicator to those supporting former father Bwalya that nothing about speaking for people is valid.
# 2 the priest u asked for was overcame by political ambition .. hence forgetting to preach the words of God despite of beeing paid as a priest.. when his employer found out what he was doing, an axe fell on him.