Zambian President asks Pope’s envoy, Gallagher to pray for Zambia

The Holy See’ Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher is in Zambia, as an envoy of the Holy Father, to celebrate fifty years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Zambia. Archbishop Gallagher Monday paid a courtesy call on the Zambian President, Edgar Lungu. The Zambian President asked the Pope’s envoy to pray for Zambia so that the country would continue to be an oasis of peace in Africa.

According to ‘The Post’ newspaper of Zambia, President Edgar Lungu made the plea to Archbishop Gallagher at State House. President Lungu said Zambia’s peace could not be sustained without prayer.

“It’s time for reflection on our part. Like you said when you arrived, Zambia is an oasis of peace and we cannot guarantee this peace without prayer,” President Lungu said. “In the region, we know that the Catholic Church has got quite some influence not only in Zambia but in other countries as well. I am talking about Congo DR, Burundi, Rwanda. So when the Catholic Pope sends an emissary to come and celebrate the 50 years with us, for us it’s time to look back and say ‘where are we coming from; what lessons are we learning and how do we move forward?’ We urge you your Excellency to not only pray for us but counsel us.” President Lungu said faithful and devout Catholics must ascend to leadership positions and be used as a channel for influencing good governance.

“We are the members of the Church. At least, some us are known to be practicing Catholics…,” said President Lungu. “Only a few days ago, I was calling upon the Church in Zambia that ‘give us the men of God so that they participate in politics so we can bring Christianity to politics’. And that would be a lovely thing because then we will have the love of Jesus and forgiveness and tolerance. That way, politics will not be about power but for the good of the people,” the President said.

Archbishop Gallagher is the Pope’s special envoy to celebrations of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Zambia. He arrived in Zambia on 7 November and on 8 November presided over a huge celebration Mass at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka. He has since held bilateral meetings with Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and officials of the Zambian Government; attended a function at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lusaka and met with Zambian Catholic Bishops as well as other pastoral agents of the Zambian Church.

Upon his arrival in Zambia, Archbishop Gallagher said that his visit was a fitting opportunity to witness for himself the work of the Catholic Church in Zambia. He expressed good wishes to the people of Zambia and to Catholics in particular.

By Fr. Paul Samasumo

(Source: The Post newspaper of Zambia)

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