Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) president Bishop George Lungu says politics can become a means of oppression, marginalization and destruction if not regarded as a form of service to society.

And Bishop Lungu says as ZCCB meets for its second plenary of the year this week, they will ndeavour to propose the way forward by providing an alternative route to authentic peace-building and genuine reconciliation.

In a statement, Wednesday, Bishop Lungu, who is also Reverend in charge of the Chipata Catholic Diocese, stated that the Church wanted to see a united Zambia.

“I hope and pray that as shepherds of God’s flock, we shall endeavour to propose the way forward by providing an alternative route to authentic peace-building and genuine reconciliation. Indeed, from the very beginning when the Church led the national dialogue and reconciliation process. The vision of the Church has always been a conversion of hearts and minds of the Zambian people, leading to a unified, reconciled and peaceful Zambia where all citizens freely participate in governance within a thriving social and economic environment,” Bishop Lungu stated.

Bishop Lungu reiterated that the Church remained resolved to be truly non-partisan so as to be inclusive and bring people from all walks of life and political persuasions together in the spirit of one Zambia, one nation.

Meanwhile, Bishop Lungu commended all nations, including Zambia that contributed towards helping the victims of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe and further called on government to declare places affected by unfavourable weather conditions in the 2018/2019 rainy season a disaster.

Bishop Lungu said declaring a crisis in all areas that were affected negatively by drought would help to mobilize the much-needed resources to move the necessary food items in areas where there was literally nothing to eat.

Further, Bishop Lungu stated that activities for the Extraordinary Missionary Month of October 2019 as announced by Pope Francis in commemoration of the centenary of the Apostolic Letter, Maximum Illude, of Pope Benedict XV (1919) under the theme: “Baptised and sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World,” has to be a meaningful exercise.

“Activities have to be carried out in such a way that there is indeed a renewed missionary awareness and commitment, with fresh evangelical impulse to our way of preaching and bringing to the world the salvation of Jesus Christ who died and rose again. With the spirit of courage and fearlessness of our early missionaries and the ingenuity of our present world, we are invited to die to a spirit of self-preservation and be daring enough to venture into the unknown prompted by the Holy Spirit and relying on God’s providence,” said Bishop Lungu.