A post-Christmas news item: A splinter church called the Catholic Apostolic National Church of Zambia has been launched with Archbishop-elect, Luciano Mbewe, calling for more priests to join the church and fulfill their God-given role by marrying. Archbishop Mbewe said during the launch of the new church which has strong links with excommunicated prelate Emmanuel Milingo that the hour had come for priests in the Roman Catholic Church to start marrying and taking care of their forsaken children. He said profound pain and suffering had been caused to priests as a result of celibacy and that most of this pain and suffering was uncalled for. Archbishop Mbewe said the celibacy issue had led to some priests contracting HIV/AIDs.
Some may be aware of Milingo, the former Archbishop of Lusaka. He made the news when Rev. Moon of the Unification Church chose a bride for him and married him in one of the Unification ceremonies. At one point he rejected the marriage, but has reclaimed his bride and moved forward with plans for the new church.
As far as we can tell from the newspapers, the movement has little interest from the people in the pews. The day will come for married priests, but break-away churches are not the effective means. Especially when the new church mirrors all the old church in everything but celibacy.
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