. Pope Francis

By XAVIER MANCHISHI –
THE head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has urged Catholic bishops in Zambia to continue working with political leaders for the common good.
Pope Francis met the 11 Catholic bishops from all the dioceses in Zambia on Monday at the Vatican during their Ad Limina visit.
The Ad Limina visit is the pilgrimage Catholic bishops take every five years to the Vatican to present to the Pope on the status of their dioceses and visit the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, believed to be buried in Rome, as a sign of communion with the apostles.
Pope Francis said with the death of President Michael Sata, Catholic bishops in Zambia should continue working with political leaders for the common good.
“I invite you to continue working with political leaders for the common good. You should also deepen your prophetic witness in defence of the poor in order to uplift the lives of the weak,” the Pontiff said.
Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) communications officer Mwenya Mukuka said in a statement that the Pope told the bishops that, as pastors of the flock, they should not forget to seek out the weakest members of the Zambian society, among them, the materially poor and those afflicted with HIV/AIDS.
The great majority of the poor have a special openness to the faith and they need God. Pastors must not fail to offer them God’s friendship, blessing, word, the celebration of the sacraments and a journey of growth and maturity in the faith.
“I encourage you to remain sensitive as shepherds to the spiritual and human needs of your closest co-workers,” the Pontiff said. “Never tire of being kind and firm fathers to your priests, helping them resist materialism and the standards of the world, while recognising their just needs.”
Pope Francis also appealed to the bishops to continue seeking a happy and fulfilling future in the Church and in society, despite great challenges which militated against stability in social and ecclesial life, in particular for families.
“When family life is endangered, then the life of faith is also put at risk. As you yourselves have recounted, many, especially the poor in their struggle for survival are led astray by empty promises in false teachings that seem to offer quick relief in times of desperation,” he said.
The Holy Father was convinced that the weakening of family bonds was particularly serious because the family was the fundamental cell of society.
“Where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another, it is also the place where parents pass on the faith to their children,” Pope Francis said. “Be solicitous whether in or out of season, by supporting the sanctuary of life because it is the family that the Church’s well-being in Zambia must grow and be fostered.”
The Pope also implored the Catholic Church in Zambia to affirm couples in their desire for fidelity in conjugal life and yearning to provide a stable spiritual home for their children, helping them to nurture the life of virtue in the family.
The Holy Father urged the bishops to be close to young people as they sought to establish and articulate their identity in a disorienting age.