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While attending a meeting in South Africa, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Archbishop of Central Africa Bernard Malango had a chat with Bishop of Mugabe Harare Nolbert Kunonga. The two primates then issued a diplomatic joint statement. I know that Dr Williams has no power to rein in the infamous Bp Kunonga, but I have to wonder whether saying nothing wouldn't be preferable to this.
"We are grateful for the chance to meet face to face and discuss the role of the church in Zimbabwe and the wider region in working towards the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals.
"We shared our deep concerns with the Bishop of Harare about the situation in Zimbabwe, affirming those places where Anglican ministries are bearing fruit and the church is growing, but also expressing the widespread concerns in the global church and in the international community about the deteriorating economic life of Zimbabwe and issues of human rights and peaceful non-partisan protest.
"We encouraged the development of an independent voice for the church in response to these challenges. All ministers of the gospel must be free to serve and to speak for the needs of those most deprived and disadvantaged.
"We want to find new channels of communication and to facilitate regional conversations about issues of development and justice, including the impact of sanctions, so that Anglicans may work together more effectively with and for the poor whom they serve in Christ's name."
It's good they raised those issues, but let's get down to brass tacks. This is the man who uses Harare's Anglican cathedral as his personal fiefdom, cancelling worship services to hold an anniversary party, and then prosecuting parishioners who question such misuse of God's house. All the evidence indicates that Bp Kunonga has been bought and paid for by Robert Mugabe with an estate stolen from its lawful owners. Anglican clergy who speak up for the impoverished and oppressed in Mugabe's hell-on-earth have been packed off to distant rural parishes or intimidated into exile.
Bishop Kunonga is an embarrassment to the Anglican Communion. By contrast, the Roman Catholic Church has as its leader in Zimbabwe Archbishop Pius Ncube, a courageous and inspiring man of God.
It doesn’t help matters any that Abp Malango is providing cover for his buddy Kunongo and toadying up to Mugabe.
In this context, the opening reference to implementing the Millennium Development Goals is a cruel joke. Zimbabwe is probably the last place on the planet where the MDGs will be realised.
Previous related posts:
Sounds like a lot of lukewarm and … muddy water spewing forth !!!
[...] Rowan Williams “shares concerns” with renegade Zimbabwean bishop [...]
[...] The letter represents an embarrassment for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams who last month signed a joint statement with Abp Malango and Bp Kunonga expressing concern about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. The two African Anglicans now appear rather less concerned about that. [...]
[...] Rowan Williams “shares concerns” with renegade Zimbabwean bishop [...]
[...] In early March, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams met with two of the men who signed last week’s letter. The Most Rev Bernard Malango, Archbishop of Central Africa and The Rt Rev Nolbert Kunonga, Bishop of Harare, are certainly among the pro-Mugabe faction in the Province of Central Africa. The three signed a joint statement expressing concerns about “issues of human rights and peaceful non-partisan protest”. None of that appears in the bishops' pastoral letter. [...]
[...] Bishop Kunonga blocked food shipments to Zimbabwe By StatGuy Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has let slip more details of his March meeting with Bishop of Harare Nolbert Kunonga. At a May 1 meeting held at the Royal Institute for International Affairs in London, Williams was asked why Anglican church funds were not used to fill trucks with food and send them across Beit Bridge from South Africa to Bulawayo in southern Zimbabwe where people are starving. [...]