ZAMBIA: ZCCB Orients Youth Chaplains

By Mwenya Mukuka

With the Catholic Bishops expressing concern that Catholic youths in learning institutions and parishes have been lacking necessary guidance to help them grow in their Catholic faith and identity, a chaplaincy orientation workshop is being held at the Catholic Secretariat in Lusaka.

The workshop has attracted 40 participants from all Catholic dioceses across the country.

And speaking when he officially opened the workshop, Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishop (ZCCB) Bishop Director for Pastoral Rt. Rev. Clement Mulenga SDB said that the Catholic Bishops of Zambia are concerned with the shortage of chaplains in many institutions of learning and dioceses, a reason they laboured to find a solution.

Bishop Mulenga also said that the role of youth chaplains is very important.

“Youths are looking for guidance and assurance. Therefore, the role of the chaplain is very important to see to it that the welfare of the youths is taken care of and to offer guidance to the youths,” he said.

And Bishop Mulenga has disclosed that as the country goes to the polls, the bishops’ are concerned about peace during the period, as it will be difficult to intervene if the youths who are vulnerable are used as tools for violence by politicians.

“The Church needs to start directing the youths in the right path, not to engage in violence but to respect one another. The duty of chaplains is to encourage people to seek justice in a peaceful way,” he said.

Bishop Mulenga, the Ordinary for Kabwe Diocese, assured that the Catholic Church will work hard and ensure that there is peace, arguing that people suffer when there is war.

He also emphasised that the Catholic Bishops in Zambia will not allow any politician to speak in Catholic churches during mass.

The first workshop will end on the 5^th of December, 2020 while the second one starts 7^th December 2020 and ends on 9^th December 2020.