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Zimbabwe's churches call for God's help to deal with crisis
Episcopal News Service
Issue:
Section:
2003-116-2
Posted: Friday, May 23, 2003
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The heads of Zimbabwe's main Christian associations have called on citizens to dedicate themselves to fasting and prayer for 'divine intervention' in the face of an unprecedented political and economic crisis.
The church leaders appealed to all churches and Christians in Zimbabwe to unite 'in seeking the face of God through prayer and fasting persistently asking our Father to heal our land.' The appeal came from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference (ZCBC), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), and the heads of Christian denominations.
They called for a spirit of tolerance and reconciliation and an end to politically motivated violence, amid continuing reports of government-backed violations of human rights.
In a separate statement, the ZCC sharply criticized corruption, restrictions on press freedom, and the politicization of food aid, the Daily News reported. The ZCC, whose members include Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, and independent churches, said it was now geared up to speak out on behalf of the voiceless in society.
Leading Christians have hailed recent efforts by the leaders of three African countries to broker a solution to the crisis besetting the southern African country. The presidents of South Africa, Nigeria, and Malawi visited Zimbabwe in early May for separate talks with Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Mugabe, who led the nation to independence in 1980, narrowly defeated Tsvangirai in a presidential election last year that was characterized by some international observers as fundamentally flawed. There was media speculation that the recent talks were intended to establish an interim government including representatives of both Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front party and the MDC.
The visit by the three African leaders followed a similar mission in March by Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, the head of the Anglican Church in South Africa, who came to Harare in March for meetings with Mugabe and Tsvangirai. The Daily News reported that Ndungane was expected back in Zimbabwe at the end of May on a pastoral visit and fact-finding mission.
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| © 2004, The Episcopal Church, USA. Episcopal News Service content may be reprinted without permission as long as credit is given to ENS. |
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