posted
"I can't understand how this people dare to defy Christ's explicit orders as our Lord prohibited mankind from sodomy," --Mugabe, 2015, comment on extension of gay marriage to all U.S. states
President Robert Mugabe kisses the hand of Bishop Dieter Scholtz during a mass service at the Kutama Old Boys Association . March 2015
7 APRIL 2006 Zimbabwe: 'Freedom-Fighter Priest' Named Bishop of Chinhoyi
Harare — A Jesuit priest detained twice and then expelled by the British Colonial Government in the 1970's has been named the new bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Chinhoyi.
Father Dieter Scholz SJ, aged 67, succeeds the late Bishop Helmut Recktor as shepherd of the more than 84,000 Catholics in Chinhoyi. The diocese, erected in 1985, has 28 priests and 94 religious.
Roman Catholics in Zimbabwe number about one million (about 8% of the population) and are organized into eight dioceses. After occasional missionary efforts in earlier centuries, Catholic religious orders have been continuously present in Zimbabwe since 1879.
The Catholic Church in Zimbabwe is particularly active in promoting civil rights and political participation, especially by means of the Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace. Legislative issues are addressed by the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office
The Catholic Church first attempted to evangelize in Zimbabwe when the Jesuit priest, Goncalo de Silveria, reached the Munhumutapa’s capital in 1560.
Silveira was appointed provincial superior of India in 1555. The appointment was approved by St. Ignatius Loyola a few months before his death. Gonçalo's term of government in India lasted three years. He used to say that God had given him the great grace of unsuitability for government - apparently basing this on a certain want of tact in dealing with human weakness. The next provincial, António Quadros, sent him to the unexplored mission field of south-east Africa. Landing at Sofala on 11 March 1560, da Silveira proceeded to Otongwe near Cape Correntes. There, during his stay of seven weeks, he instructed and baptized the Makaranga chief, Gamba, and about 450 natives of his kraal. Towards the end of the year he started up the Zambezi River on his expedition to the capital of the Monomotapa, which appears to have been the N'Pande kraal in Zimbabwe, close by the M'Zingesi River, a southern tributary of the Zambezi. He arrived there on 26 December 1560, and remained until his death. During this period he baptized the king and a large number of his subjects. Some Arabs from Mozambique agitated against the missionary, and Silveira was strangled in his hut by order of the king. The expedition sent to avenge his death never reached its destination, while his apostolate came to an abrupt end from a want of missionaries to carry on his work.
In the 17th century Dominicans worked among traders in north-east Zimbabwe but when the Portuguese were driven from the country by the Changamire in 1693 this work came to an end. The modern Church in Zimbabwe has its beginnings in the Zambezi Mission run by the Society of Jesus.
Although at least a dozen Catholic churches were planted, they all disappeared by 1667, when Portugal’s power was waning, leaving “no discernible trace of Christianity.” This remained the situation until the movement of Protestant missions arrived in the nineteenth century. In 1799 Johannes Van der Kemp helped launching a missionary society called London Missionary Society (LMS). One of the LMS missionary who helped launch Protestant missions into Zimbabwe was Robert Moffat and his wife Mary. One of Moffat’s greatest accomplishment for missions in Zimbabwe was his friendship with Mzilikazi, king of the Ndebele tribe. Moffat’s son-in-law David Livingstone had several expeditions in Zimbabwe around 1859.[4]
A forward station was established at Gubulawayo in 1879, but little progress was made and in 1889 the Jesuits withdrew from the country. They returned in 1890 with the British forces, Father Hartmann accompanying the Pioneer Column as chaplain and Father Prestage accompanying the Dominican nuns who came up as nurses. The work in nursing and education undertaken by the Dominicans was an essential part of the early expansion of the Church. The Jesuits established Chishawasha mission near Harare and Driefontein mission near Masvingo.
John Maranke (1912-1963) was a Zimbabwean Christian leader, prophet, and founder of the African Apostolic Church of John Maranke.
n 1932, when Maranke was 20, he returned from journeys in the bush announcing a series of visions and encounters with Jesus Christ, calling him to be a Holy Spirit guided itinerant preacher and establish a new African church.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] In his visions he was also admonished that he should baptize people and observe the [Saturday] Sabbath (Sa.bata In Shona). He founded the largest independent church in Central Africa.[9] The main gathering of the church occurred at Pentecost, at Maranke's village, lasting for seventeen days, and ending with communion. On his death his sons, Abero Maranke/ Abel Marange, Makebo Marange, and Judah Marange took over leadership of the church.
It is estimated that between 60 and 70 percent of Zimbabweans belong to mainstream Western Christian denominations such as Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Methodism; however, over the years a variety of indigenous churches and groups have emerged from these mainstream denominations.[1] Charismatic Evangelical denominations, primarily Pentecostal churches and apostolic groups, were the fastest growing religious classifications in the years 2000 to 2009.[1] While the country is overwhelmingly Christian, the majority of the population continues to believe, to varying degrees, in indigenous religions as well.[1] Religious leaders also reported an increase in adherence to traditional religion and shamanic healers.[1] Islam accounts for 1 percent of the population[1] while the remainder of the population includes practitioners of Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, and traditional indigenous religions.[1] There are also small numbers of Hindus, Buddhists, Baha'is, and atheists.[1] While political elites tend to be associated with one of the established Christian churches, there is no correlation between membership in any religious group and political or ethnic affiliation.[1] Foreign missionary groups are present in the country Most of Zimbabwe Christians are Protestants. The largest Protestant Christian churches are Anglican (represented by the Church of the Province of Central Africa), Seventh-day Adventist[2] and Methodist.[3] There are just under one million Roman Catholics in the country (about 7% of the total population)
A variety of local churches and groups have emerged from the mainstream Christian churches over the years that fall between the Protestant and Catholic churches. Some, such as the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God, continue to adhere strictly to Christian beliefs and oppose the espousal of traditional religions. Other local groups, such as the Seven Apostles, combine elements of established Christian beliefs with some beliefs based on traditional African culture and religion
Islam
Estimates on the number Muslims in Zimbabwe vary from as low as 120,000 up to about 250, 000.[9] The Muslim community consists primarily of South Asian immigrants (Indian and Pakistani), a small number of indigenous Zimbabweans, and a very small number of North African and Middle Eastern immigrants. There are mosques located in nearly all of the larger towns. There are 18 in the capital city of Harare, 8 in Bulawayo, and a number of mosques in small towns. The Muslim community has expanded its outreach efforts with the aid of the Kuwaiti-sponsored African Muslim Agency (AMA); the Harare AMA office has had increased success proselytizing among the majority black indigenous population, in part because of its humanitarian projects in rural areas. Some chiefs and headmen in the rural areas have reportedly converted from Christianity to Islam
Bahá'í Faith
In 1916–1917 a series of letters by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, asked his followers to take the religion to regions of Africa; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan.[10] In 1929 Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, was the first Bahá'í to visit the area.[11] In 1953 several Bahá'ís settled in what was then Southern Rhodesia[12] as pioneers. Along with indigenous conversions in 1955 the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was formed in Harare.[11] By the end of 1963 there were 9 assemblies.[13] While still a colony of the United Kingdom, the Bahá'ís nevertheless organised a separate National Spiritual Assembly in 1964.[14] The National Assembly has continued since 1970.[12] By 2003, the 50th anniversary of the Bahá'ís in Zimbabwe, a year of events across the country culminated with a conference of Bahá'ís from all provinces of Zimbabwe and nine countries. There were 43 local spiritual assemblies in 2003.[11]
Hinduism
There are small number of Hindus in Zimbabwe.[15][16] Hindus are mainly concentrated in the capital city of Harare. Hindu Society mainly consists of Gujaratis, Goan and Tamil. Hindu Primary and Secondary schools are found in the major urban areas such as Harare and Bulawayo. The Hindu Religious and Cultural Institute (HRCI) is dedicated in teaching Sanatana Dharma to children born into Hindu families of Zimbabwe, but non-Hindus can also study here. Most Hindu families who live in Zimbabwe still have links with India. Gujarati language is taught in HRCI. HRCI also publishes books offering religious education for Hindus. Brahma Kumaris have three Centres in Zimbabwe (in Harare, Bulawayo, and Vic Falls).[17] ISKCON has a Centre at Marondera. Ramakrishna Vedanta Society has a centre in Harare.
In Shona and Ndebele religion, God, or the Supreme Being, is seen as the creator and sustainer of the universe in much the same manner as within Christianity. Shona Mwari (literally “He who is”), or Ndebele uMlimu, is believed to be active in the everyday lives of people. In general, people communicate with Mwari through the vadzimu (Shona), or amadhlozi (Ndebele). These are the deceased ancestors. The vadzimu are believed to constitute an invisible community within the community of the living, always around their descendants, caring for them and participating in their joys and sorrows. Spirit mediums communicate with the vadzimu on behalf of the people. In Shona religion, in addition to the guarding characteristics of the vadzimu, there are also avenging or evil spirits, ngozi, and witches who communicate with them.
In Karanga indigenous religion in Zimbabwe: health and well-being, Prof. Tabona Shoko analyses the traditional Karanga views of the causes of illness and disease, mechanisms of diagnosis at their disposal and the methods they use to restore health, Shoko discusses the views of a specific African Independent Church of the Apostolic tradition. The book finds that the centrality of health and well-being is not only confined to traditional religion but reflects its adaptive potential in new religious systems manifest in the phenomenon of Independent Churches.
Zimbabwe’s Education Ministry recommended the teaching of African Traditional Religion in schools in recognition of its multi-religious society. One study (abstract) revealed that the teaching of this subject faces challenges in primary schools.
.N’angas and Traditional Medicine
Traditional medicine is the source of primary care for many Zimbabweans. N’angas (traditional healers)are consulted for their political and religious powers along with their healing powers.The Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA) is officially recognized by the government and has a constitution along with departments of education and research. Each of the approximately 55,000 members pays annual dues. ZINATHA officials estimated that 80 percent of the population consult traditional healers during the year.
Herbal remedies are used. Most n’angas say they are possessed by a healing spirit which they invoke while treating the patient. Research was done on 30 n’angas from 7 suburbs of Harare that were interviewed personally at their place of practice in 1987. More stories.
A 2006 amendment to the colonial Witchcraft Suppression Act (WSA) criminalized witchcraft practices only if intended to cause harm. Under this new framework, spoken words alone would no longer be considered a witchcraft practice or evidence of illegal activity. ZINATHA welcomed the amendment for differentiating negative witchcraft from traditional beliefs and enabling traditional healers to operate more openly, without fear of either witch hunters or prosecution. ZINATHA also stated that the amendment would facilitate the prosecution of unlicensed traditional healers.
Examples of African traditional religion or philosophy in Zimbabwe include:
Mwali Religion
The Mwali hilltop cult and shrines is discussed in the 2008 book Mambo Hills: Historical and Religious Significance by Marieke Clarke (reviews). Mambo Hills is northeast of Bulawayo. — Njelele Shrine, 35km south of Bulawayo in the Matobo Hills, is the most famous place of pilgrimage and rain dances for the traditional Mwali spirit. Every year towards the beginning of the rainy season, Chief Hobodo, as the custodian of Kalanga religion and customs, sends a delegation of amawosana (people with rain-making spirits) to the Njelele Shrine to go and ask for some rains from Mwali (a spirit speaking from a rock in Njelele) on behalf of the community. (stories).
Marumbi Rain cult
Recent studies of the rain cult include:
“The Marumbi Rain cult: Gender and the interface between rainmaking and the politics of water in Gutu” by Joseph Mujere of the U. of Zimbabwe (pdf).
“Women and Ecology in Shona Religion” by Isabel Mukonyora of the Univ. of Zimbabwe (pdf)
Unhu
Unhu (equivalent to Zulu “Ubuntu”) is a humanist philosophy often summarized as “I am what I am because of who we all are.” There is an Unhu facebook page.
Religion of the San
The religion of the San people, or Bushmen, of southern Africa consists of a spirit world and our material world. To enter the spirit world, trancing has to be initiated by a shaman through the hunting of Power animal. In Zimbabwe, San religious concepts are similar to those of South Africa, however the eland is replaced by the elephant and other animals. The San religious art of Zimbabwe and South Africa can be linked strongly to neuropsychological findings in trance
You have to analyze what is happening . the facts. mugabe is empowering black people of zimbabwe and removing the white power.
Posts: 2922 | From: World Empire of the Black People | Registered: Jul 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mugabe responded by unleashing a series of blistering attacks on the Church during the weeks leading up to his appearance in Rome. “Even though I was born in this church, their bishops are all over me on a daily basis,” Mugabe thundered at the opening of an 18,000-seat house of worship belonging to the Zimbabwe Christian Church, an indigenous African sect, on April 22. “They attack me and criticize me because they are led by the whites who have their interest and agendas.” A little over a week later, at another indigenous African parish, he alleged that Catholic Bishops “are mere puppets of Western countries.
I grew up in the Catholic Church but now I am totally frustrated by how these so-called men of God lie. All Catholic bishops are liars, they demonize my party every day.”
The Church’s stance is all the more odd because Mugabe has been at war with local Catholic bishops in Zimbabwe for some time. The conflict’s roots lie in Mugabe’s campaign against the Ndebele ethnic group, which he waged during the 1980s with a brigade of North Korean-trained soldiers. The campaign ultimately took the lives of 20,000 people. A Catholic priest in Harare subsequently accused the regime of following a “genocidal course” against the Ndebele. In 1997, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe—an arm of the of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference—published a groundbreaking report about the massacres. Over the past ten years, as the country has careened from the trauma unleashed by the land reforms that evicted white farmers from their property, to famine and cholera outbreaks, to election-related violence, the local Catholic clergy has released a steady stream of statements criticizing the regime.
Most recently, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference released a political pastoral letter in April, which, while not mentioning Mugabe by name, sought to discredit his self-serving narrative. “The liberation of Zimbabwe was achieved through the efforts of those who were inside the country, both armed and unarmed, outside the country and by the international community,” the letter read. “The claim to have monopoly in the liberation struggle by any single sector or party is therefore, false and may be the misconception solely responsible for the abuse of human rights and the erosion of the sovereignty of the citizens in Zimbabwe.”
Mugabe responded by unleashing a series of blistering attacks on the Church during the weeks leading up to his appearance in Rome. “Even though I was born in this church, their bishops are all over me on a daily basis,” Mugabe thundered at the opening of an 18,000-seat house of worship belonging to the Zimbabwe Christian Church, an indigenous African sect, on April 22. “They attack me and criticize me because they are led by the whites who have their interest and agendas.” A little over a week later, at another indigenous African parish, he alleged that Catholic Bishops “are mere puppets of Western countries. I grew up in the Catholic Church but now I am totally frustrated by how these so-called men of God lie. All Catholic bishops are liars, they demonize my party every day.”
And yet the Vatican’s treatment of Mugabe has been the polar opposite of the courage shown by local Catholic officials. Nowhere has this been more clear than in the tragic story of Pius Ncube, who served as Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city, until 2007. For years, he was Mugabe’s loudest critic, frequently lambasting him from the pulpit and to the international media. That all stopped after Mugabe’s dreaded Central Intelligence Organization produced a grainy video—aired repeatedly on state television and written about luridly in state newspapers—which showed the archbishop engaging in sexual relations with a married woman. Rather than fight on his behalf, the Vatican promptly accepted Ncube’s resignation and made him spend nine months at a Franciscan retreat in England. Though he left Zimbabwe claiming that he would “not be silenced by the crude machinations of a wicked regime,” the Vatican promptly enforced a gag order on Ncube, forbidding him from making political statements. Upon his return to Zimbabwe in 2008, he told the London Times, “I am very upset about it. I believe in speaking out for the people at a time of distress.”
When it comes to Mugabe, the Vatican has its defenders. “It is perfectly true [the Vatican] could place Mugabe under interdict for his many sins and misdemeanors, but if you start with Mugabe, where would you finish?” Alexander Lucie-Smith, a British Catholic priest, wrote in the Catholic Herald. “Should Berlusconi also be banned? What about the much married Sarkozy?” But the comparison is clearly specious. Berlusconi and Sarkozy, whatever their foibles, are both democratically elected leaders accountable to their people; neither has engaged in the wanton torture, mass murder, and electoral skullduggery that have marked the three decades of Mugabe rule.
“Only God who appointed me will remove me,” Mugabe said in 2008, as he stole yet another election. “Even Romans 13 says leaders are appointed by God. I am an image of God, who appointed me to my current position.” Clearly, the Vatican’s power to bring about change in Zimbabwe is limited. But given the role that religion obviously plays in Mugabe’s self-image, it would be nice if the Church stopped treating him like a legitimate head of state.
_____________________________
The Roman Catholic Church in Zimbabwe is an observer member of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.
The conference currently has nine active bishops who lead the eight dioceses:
Archdiocese of Harare, led by Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu Archdiocese of Bulawayo, led by Archbishop Alexander Thomas Kaliyanil, S.V.D. Diocese of Chinhoyi, led by Bishop Dieter Scholz, S.J. Diocese of Gokwe, led by Bishop Angel Floro Martínez, I.E.M.E. Diocese of Mutare, led by Bishop Alexio Churu Muchabaiwa and Auxiliary Bishop Patrick Mumbure Mutume Diocese of Gweru, led by Bishop Xavier Munyongani Diocese of Hwange, led by Bishop José Alberto Serrano Antón, I.E.M.E Diocese of Masvingo, led by Bishop Michael Dixon Bhasera
Posts: 42921 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
Religion is a strange thing, it has the power to neutralize brain cells. And become the host of the body.
Posts: 22234 | From: האם אינכם כילדי הכרית אלי בני ישראל | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by malibudusul: Mugabe responded by unleashing a series of blistering attacks on the Church during the weeks leading up to his appearance in Rome. “Even though I was born in this church, their bishops are all over me on a daily basis,” Mugabe thundered at the opening of an 18,000-seat house of worship belonging to the Zimbabwe Christian Church, an indigenous African sect, on April 22. “They attack me and criticize me because they are led by the whites who have their interest and agendas.” A little over a week later, at another indigenous African parish, he alleged that Catholic Bishops “are mere puppets of Western countries.
I grew up in the Catholic Church but now I am totally frustrated by how these so-called men of God lie. All Catholic bishops are liars, they demonize my party every day.”
posted
One has to understand that the pope is the representation of the Christ on earth. Hell to the no would I ever kiss his filthy hands.
Posts: 22234 | From: האם אינכם כילדי הכרית אלי בני ישראל | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic