ZAMBIA: Police Seal Off Cathedral in Zambia as Archdiocese Protests the Move
At Cathedral of the Child Jesus, Zambia
By Sandra Kunda
The Archdiocese of Lusaka has protested the government’s systematic abuse of power after police sealed off the Cathedral of the Child Jesus.
In an open letter released on October 28, 2024, the Archdiocese of Lusaka expressed “utter shock and dismay” over the government’s decision to cordon off the Cathedral of the Child Jesus.
The action, which took place on Monday, October 28, at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus, as the Archdiocese was about to hold a Eucharistic Celebration to honor the late Fifth Republican President of Zambia, His Excellency Michael Chilufya Sata, has been described by the Archdiocese as an “abuse of the instruments of State violence” and an “infringement on the fundamental right of worship.”
The Archdiocese revealed that arriving for morning prayers, the devotees were met by a “scene of heavily armed police officers with anti-riot gear” that had sealed both entrances to the cathedral.
The presence of the officers reportedly intimidated devotees, who were turned away, leaving them “fearful of the military scene.”
The Archdiocese stated that “the Cathedral is a place of worship, and what happened today is unacceptable for a country that professes to be a Christian nation.”
The Archdiocese indicated that permission was sought months before the event, to hold the 10th Memorial Anniversary Requiem Mass for President Sata on October 28, 2024.
The letter also noted that, while the government held its own service at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, this “was no reason to prevent another remembrance service at any other place of worship.”
Efforts to intervene by the Archbishop Most Rev. Alick Banda, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka, and lawyer Mr. John Sangwa SC were reportedly unsuccessful, with the premises remaining sealed until after 09:30 a.m.
The Archdiocese has since urged the government to reflect on its actions, emphasizing that the events at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus are not isolated but part of a “coordinated scheme to intimidate the citizenry.”
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