Moral decay has become a serious national concern in Zambia

The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops has said moral decay has become a serious national concern in Zambia.

Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Secretary General Father Francis Mukosa has said in his 2023 Lenten message that moral decay is a reality and a serious national concern.

Lent is the Christian season of spiritual preparation before Easter. They dedicate specific time to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. “It is common knowledge today among Zambians that moral decay is a reality and a serious national concern. Thus, Lenten period understood as a time for repentance and conversion can be a privileged moment for the nation to uphold national values and principles. This calls for concerted efforts in bringing about change of mindset and behaviour,” Fr. Mukosa said.

Fr. Mukosa has described as alarming and shameful for the country to record more than 31 000 divorces in the courts of law in 2022.

“It is alarming and shameful to record more than 31,000 divorce cases in the courts of law in 2022. It has also been established that one of the major causes of family breakdown in Zambia is lack of proper communication. Therefore, abstaining from gluing to the TV screen or mobile phones as a form of fasting can actually help families to have time to listen to each other and engage in communal prayers,” he said.

Fr. Mukosa has called all to observe lent as a moment of deep and thoughtful conversations especially among family members.

He further said Lenten observance if done in families can be a moment for bonding and a powerful reminder of the incredible amount of influence parents have in the lives of their children.

He has since cautioned Christians of the need to be worried of individual freedoms being espoused as they contribute to moral decay. “Great care must be taken in the way individual freedoms are being interpreted and promoted in the country. Freedom devoid of any form of regulation and responsibility is just a recipe for anarchy and social disorder,” Fr. Mukosa said.

And the ZCCB Secretary General has added that this Lenten season, the cry of the poor and all less privileged persons ought to be heeded.

“In practical terms this entails that all the wealth that God has blessed this country with have to be shared equitably among citizens, the gap between the rich and the poor drastically reduced, the high cost of living worked on and the standard of living for all Zambians lifted. In order for the nation to find a lasting solution to its economic quagmire all stakeholders are expected to play their role in an honest and passionate manner,” Fr. Mukosa said.

Fr. Mukosa has called every leadership and every system of governance to promote common good so as to alleviate the suffering of the less privileged.

On 22nd February 2023 Christians were ushered into the Lenten Season through the celebration of Ash Wednesday.