Zimbabwe: archbishop says government is meddling in church

The Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, has accused the government of planting its agents within the Church in order to divide it along political lines. Archbishop Ncube refuted reports carried in the state-run media alleging that there had emerged a great rift within the Church as a result of his perceived political activities, the Zimbabwe Standard report. Ncube challenged the government to seek ways of halting the suffering of the people rather than dedicating its energy towards meddling in religious matters. The paper quoted him as saying, "There is no division within the Catholic Church and we remain focused on breaking the silence." Churches have often been accused of being silent over government excesses. Ncube said: "They (the government) have planted state agents in the Church in an attempt to divide us, yet we as Church leaders meet every two months to discuss matters of the Church." Ncube said that the notion of political involvement was part of everyone's life. Church leaders in Bulawayo have held a series of meetings in the past two weeks where they resolved to take a stand against the escalating levels of political repression and civil intimidation. The clergy called for a return to the rule of law and order. Elsewhere in Zimbabwe, hundreds of Christians from different denominations have been conducting a series of prayers for the nation. Source: Catholic Information Service Africa