ZAMBIA: Bishops Call on Zambians to Seek God in This Time of Covid-19 Crisis

The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has encouraged Zambians to seek and find God in this time of the Coronavirus crisis.

In a statement the ZCCB has released after their plenary session in Lusaka, the Catholic bishops say God in His mercy has intervened before in such occasions as these, adding that he will intervene again.

“We draw your attention to the story of Jesus calming the storm recounted in the Gospel of Saint Mark (Chapter 4, verses 35 to 41). When the boat in which Jesus and his disciples were in was rocked by the storm and it was about to sink, the disciples exclaimed, ‘Master, don’t you care that we are about to die?’ Jesus commanded the storm to stop and calmed the anxiety of the disciples,” read the ZCCB statement, which is signed by President of the Conference, Bishop George Lungu.

Bishop Lungu has since cautioned people not to put the Lord their God to the test by asking him to stop the Covid-19 pandemic if they do not care about preventive measures.

Calling the people to action, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops has stated that this is time for all Zambians to come together and renew the fight against this common enemy, which is the Coronavirus epidemic.

Bishop Lungu said this will be achieved by citizens seriously adhering to the measures put in place to prevent the further spread of Covid-19, adding that people should minimize travelling from one place, unless it is absolutely necessary.

The Catholic Bishops also call on government and all relevant institutions to prioritize timely provision of all necessary supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), to health facilities across the nation in order to guarantee the safety of all frontline workers in their fight against Coronavirus and its devastating effects.

Bishop Lungu further noted that just as the Catholic Church in Zambia has suspended pastoral engagements in the dioceses, the Bishops reciprocally call on others to suspend activities that have the potential to fuel the spread of the coronavirus.#