A Clarion Call to the Church: This is Not a Catholic Problem, It is an Attack on the Body of Christ
The Independent Correspondent
The recent targeting and distressing circumstances surrounding Archbishop Alick Banda have sent a shockwave through the nation. Yet, there is a dangerous, paralyzing misconception taking root: that this is an attack on the Catholic Church alone. We must dispel this illusion immediately. This is not a denominational issue; it is a calculated strike against the Church universal—the very voice of conscience, justice, and moral authority in our nation.
We must recognize the age-old blueprint of dictatorship. Tyrants do not begin by seizing every institution at once. They start strategically, by silencing the most independent and resonant voices—those that speak truth to power for the good of the people. They isolate and fracture institutions that stand for justice, knowing that once these pillars are compromised, all others—business, media, civil society—will succumb, left defenseless against their whims. The attack on the Archbishop is not an end; it is a deliberate entry point. The Catholic Church, with its historical stance on social justice and its vast moral influence, is the first wall they seek to breach. If it falls silent or is subdued, who is next? The Pentecostal assemblies? The Evangelical fellowships? The Council of Churches?
This brings us to the most worrying symptom of our time: the deafening silence from other shepherds. How can we explain the continued quiet from men of God like Bishop Imakando, Bishop Banda, Bishop Mususu, Bishop Mbulo, and others who have chosen neutrality in a time of moral crisis? Their silence is not merely an absence of sound; it is a message being loudly heard by both the oppressor and the oppressed. It signals consent. It fosters fear.
Men of God, we must remember our recent history. Political persecution did not arrive in one sweeping storm. It began with the Democratic Party (DP). When few stood firmly with them, the focus shifted to the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Then, ‘boom,’ the Patriotic Front (PF) itself was overtaken. There were those within and close to power then, who offered behind-the-door jeers instead of public solidarity, who thought their proximity to power would shield them. They were mistaken. The PF’s failure to stand unequivocally with earlier targets contributed to its own vulnerability. What we witnessed in the political arena is now being mirrored in the spiritual. The fracture of one part weakens the whole body.
To the Pentecostal Assemblies of God and the Council of Bishops, this is a moment that defines relevance. Relevance is not found in dining with power brokers or in maintaining cordial ties with the UPND leadership while the foundations of prophetic ministry are eroded. Relevance is earned by speaking truth when it is most costly. Caution is urged against explanations that silence is a form of spiritual discretion, that one “has not heard from God.” The conditions the citizens are enduring—the pain, the division, the fear—are themselves a clear cry from God. They are a divine mandate to speak. To remain silent now is to ignore the very suffering we are called to heal, a suffering many now argue is more acute and divisive than what was witnessed under previous administrations.
Let this be a solemn reminder: whether you speak or not, the arc of moral justice bends inevitably. The current path is unsustainable, and those who wield power unjustly are headed for a downfall. The critical question for every church leader is: Where will you be standing when that happens?
Will you be found among the courageous who defended the flock and spoke for the voiceless, securing your place in the living history of a faithful nation? Or will you be archived as irrelevant—a quiet companion to power in its moment of tyranny, remembered only for your complicit silence when the Church was under siege?
The hour is late. The attack has begun. This is not a Catholic fire; it is a fire at the gate of the whole Church. Will you help to put it out, or will you watch from a safe distance until the flames reach your own door? The soul of the nation and the integrity of the Church await your answer.
