The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in Zambia has defended its member President Hakainde Hichilema who fellow SDAs criticized for visiting the Vatican.
 |
| Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema with the head of the Vatican on the latter's Sabbath (Pres Hichilema Facebook page) |
By Kelly Rwamapera
According to a statement signed by the Northern and Southern Zambia Union Conferences, President Hakainde serves all Zambians regardless of what they are in this southern African country.
“He represents
the sum total of Zambians regardless of their religion, creed, race, tribe or colour.
As such, we expect the president to reach out to people of different backgrounds”
the statement said.
The statement dated
24th February 2022 also disowns a pastor (supposedly American Pastor Andrew Henriques) who
criticised President Hichilema for visiting the Vatican.
The 59-year-old Seventh-day Adventist who became president in 2021 after winning the incumbent Edgar Lungu visited the Pope at the Vatican just months after he became president on Sabbath of 19th February 2022.
The former
Church Elder and Master guide before becoming president could have surprised fellow
Adventists when he addressed Pope Francis in titles which the SDAs regard as
blasphemy for man.
“This morning we
held a meeting with the Holy Father, Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome,” he
said in a post on his Facebook page adding that “We discussed matters of
mutual interest with His Holiness and expressed our deep gratitude to the
Catholic Church…”
President Hichilema
also expressed “interest” in the fact that Pope Francis is a Jesuit, mentioning
that the Roman Catholic Church branch has had influence (which he did not
describe whether good or bad) in a country where 75 percent are Protestants.
“Of particular
interest to Zambians is that Pope Francis comes from the Jesuit order, a branch
of the Catholic clerics that has had a profound influence on Zambia's education
system for over a century,” he said.
The criticism was
also attacked by members of President Hichilema’s ruling party who also
criticised the Adventist church for not having intervened when Hichilema was
arrested for his political view by the former regime.
In a tweet, Joseph
Kalimbwe, also a social media influencer in Zambia criticised the SDA church and
lauded the Roman Catholic church for having spoken out whenever Hichilema’s
civil liberties were violated.
“Hakainde
Hichilema was beaten and put in prison [while] the SDA [church] was silent. The
[Roman] Catholic Church spoke out while the SDA [claimed] they "don't
involve themselves in politics" and watched their son treated like an
outcast. Now they complain about him meeting with the Pope” the tween on 23rd February
2022 said.
The Vatican News
reported that President Hichilema was surprised with the Pope's understanding of the
details of developments in Zambia.
“Zambia’s
President Hakainde Hichilema tells Vatican News he was pleasantly surprised to
find that Pope Francis has a profound understanding of development issues in
Africa, and Zambia in particular,” said the Vatican News.
................................
Do you have an opinion, a news tip or support you can share with us, please email us at FaithReporters@gmail.com
May God bless you
Comments
Post a Comment