Africa-Press – Zambia. I read your yesterday’s analysis and editorial on the two Catholic voices with a mixture of concern and disappointment. Your commentary raised important issues about political rhetoric, but it also felt harsh toward a Church that many of us look to for moral direction. The Catholic Church has been part of Zambia’s conscience from the days of UNIP, through the difficult transitions of the 1990s, and into the present. To many believers, the pulpit has always been a place where truth is spoken without fear.
Archbishop Alick Banda and bishop Ignatius Chama did not speak in a vacuum. Their warnings about political violence, selective application of the law, and public frustration did not appear from nowhere. They reflect the anxiety many citizens feel. When Archbishop Banda said the country risks tension and possible bloodshed, he was not promoting chaos. He was challenging leaders to act with fairness. When bishop Chama called for peaceful protest against constitutional changes and what he sees as rising political intimidation, he was reminding the nation that civic participation is rooted in our democratic tradition.
As a Catholic, I found it difficult to see these interventions framed as partisan. Bishops are anointed shepherds who carry spiritual and social responsibility. Their role is not to please political actors. Their responsibility is to speak for the vulnerable, the powerless and the silenced. It is possible to disagree with their tone without dismissing their prophetic duty. Many Catholics felt your editorial downplayed this sacred responsibility.
The People’s Brief has built a reputation for sober reporting. That is why your critique carried weight. But it also created the impression that the Church was being placed in the same category as political players. The Catholic Church is not perfect, but it has consistently advocated for peace, justice and dignity. When it raises an alarm, it is usually because ordinary citizens are whispering the same fears in their homes and workplaces.
I respect your commitment to neutrality. I also respect your insistence that no institution should become the country’s sole moral referee. But I ask that future analyses recognise the depth of the Catholic Church’s influence and its historical role in protecting democratic space. Zambia has always relied on institutions that speak boldly when the political climate becomes tense. The Church is one of them.
This is not a defence of every statement made by the bishops. It is a reminder that critique must be balanced with context. As readers, we value your voice. As Catholics, we simply ask for the same fairness you expect from every leader in this country.
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