CHIPATA Catholic Diocese Auxiliary Bishop Benjamin Phiri has warned priests against showing their partisan stance during their vocational work.
Bishop Phiri said during chrism mass held at St Annes Cathedral Parish in Chipata on Thursday that priests should stop showing their support for any political party.
The prelate said in a mass presided by Chipata Catholic Diocese Bishop George Lungu that priests have a duty to preach words of peace and unity to the nation and not steer up confusion among the people.
“As priests, you have a big role to play during your pastoral or vocational work to the Christians. Do not show which political party you are supporting and please you should handle your political matter inside your heart because once you show, you will divide the Christians,” Bishop Phiri said.
The bishop said priests should always know that the pulpit was there to assist people to understand the Word of God instead of being turned into political tool.
Bishop Phiri said any priest should work as a worker for Jesus Christ.
He said priests were ordained to evangelize the Word of God to the masses as enshrined in the Bible not to be involved in politics.
The bishop said rumour mongering among the Christians towards priests should be avoided.
He said rumour mongering towards priests from Christians was detrimental to the evangelization the Word of God.
He said Christians should not become an obstacle to the priests vocational work.
“You (Christians) you should not become an obstacle to the work of a priest but let us assist that particular priest to execute the work of God in any community,” Bishop Phiri said.
Bishop Phiri also advised media houses not to be biased in their reporting.
He said journalists needed to be honest and balanced in their reporting.
He said it was saddening that some journalists were causing misunderstandings with the way they were reporting their news.
“Journalists should not be fanning misunderstandings with bad reporting and let us be fair enough by balancing your news item,” Bishop Phiri said.
He said in most cases, journalists were agitating the fight due to unfair reporting.
WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG,AS A SERVANT OF GOD,YOU NEED TO DENOUNCE THAT THING.IT CAN BE FROM THE RULING PARTY OR NOT,BUT AS INSTRUMENTS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD,ONE NEEDS TO SAY THE TRUTH AND IT SHALL SET HIM OR HER FREE.THESE POLITICIANS ARE RULLING OVER THE SOULS WHICH JESUS DEID FOR.DID ANY OF THEM DIE FOR ANY SOUL AMOUNG THEM?LOOK AT HOW THEY ARE RUNNING TO THE WITCH DOCTORS TO GET POWER TO RULE OVER THE SOULS OF JESUS AND THE CHURCH IS KEEPING QUITE…TELL THE PIPO THE TRUTH AND NOT THE THINGS THE POLITICIANS WANT YOU TO TELL THEM AND YOU ARE PAID FOR SAYING THINGS WHICH PLEASES THE POLITICIANS AND NOT GOD,HE WIILL HOLD YOU RESPONCEBLE……
….I don’t understand what the Bishop is trying to say……….Its very difficult to remain neutral on any political and social issues…Priest are there because of the ordinary people who flock to their church….the very people who are affected by political decisions…
I wished he had come out like this to advise the church(catholic) in 2011 pre-general election period….
Nonsense Mr bishop they should support HH and spread the word in church about the wind of change people are suffering if you are PF shut up and leave our other fathers do the job.
The Catholic rallied behind the PF in the run up to 2011 Elections. I’m sure this Bishop was not born by then for him to exercise such ignaorance
Well spoken Bishop.Supporters of UPND are only interested everything to be positive news on HH. Your hunger for PRESIDENCY will work against you and your leader. Be sober and accept other people’s views.
Being neutral does not mean you do not criticise any politicians when they are off…? you should balance . whats important is to take a defined stance for one political grouping against the other as a church. it will be difficulty to evangelise to all coz a priest has taken sides. priests need to speak for the masses and side with the masses and not the politicians. politicians change positions like shifting sand.
Benjamin Phiri is just an Auxiliary Bishop (no real responsibility) and one of the USELESS PF Catholic priests that Supported the PF when it was in opposition. He was promoted with the help of Bishop Telephone Mpundu – the Brother in Law of SataN!
His statement is itself political and in support of PF! One wonders what his motive is if not ulterior! People are buying mealie meal at K90 per 25kg bag and 60% of them have no formal jobs and living in abject poverty BUT this useless Bishop thinks Priests should not be speaking on their behalf! This is the type of Catholic priests who are giving the Pope sleepless nights! He surely doesnt deserve his priesthood – but should openly tell us the Party he he supports!
This bishop should be disciplined by the catholic church for talking such nonsense.
The catholic church is heavily involved in politics. Now one of their priests is being threatened by Sata this bishop begins preaching neutrality. Too late!
Here in Chipata we all follow Bishop Lungu and not you Bishop Phiri. Just go and teach your grandmother how to suck eggs!
Jesus said you have made my fathers house a den of thieves