allAfrica.com has two reports:
Zimbabwe: ‘Mudslinging Leaves Anglican Church On Brink of Collapse’ from the Harare Herald:
…Asked to expand on his claims of factionalism on the sidelines of the anniversary, Archbishop Malango — who was flanked by Bishop Kunonga — said there were three factions in the Anglican Church. Two of them, comprising liberals and homosexuals (both gays and lesbians), were contending against one made up of faithful adherents to the church orthodoxy and doctrine.
Bishop Kunonga singled out the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Rowan Williams, the head of the Church of England and titular, as opposed to substantive, leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as the driving force behind the negative publicity the local church was getting.
“Williams should explain the real reasons why he is interfering and frustrating my work in my diocese. He should mind his own business.
“He has no jurisdiction over Harare, he has no authority over and above Archbishop Malango who is the overseer of Central Africa. He hates us for categorically supporting the land reform in this country,” said Rev Kunonga.
Zimbabwe: ‘Mugabe Bishop’ Shuts Down Churches to Mark Wedding Day from Catholic Information Service for Africa
The controversial Anglican bishop of Harare, Nolbert Kunonga, who is widely thought to be allied to President Robert Mugabe ordered all churches in his diocese to close on Sunday to mark his 33rd wedding anniversary.
Instead he held a prayer meeting and a fundraiser at a sports arena to celebrate the occasion, according to a report by Independent Catholic News.
Individual parishes attending the event were asked to contribute 500,000 Zimbabwe dollars (2,000 USD) and each member of the congregation was to bring 5,000 Zimbabwe dollars (20 USD).
The 5,000-seat sports arena was less than half full, with some stands taken up by choirs and parties of school children…
And SW Radio Africa has Nineteen parishioners banned for disrupting Kunonga wedding party:
Nineteen Anglican Church wardens and members of the choir have been banned by a Harare court from attending services at the cathedral in the city. This follows an application by Harare Bishop Nolbert Kunonga who accused them of trying to disrupt his wedding anniversary at the weekend. Kunonga shot himself in the foot by ordering the closure of over 45 Anglican churches in Harare. The directive, which also saw the closure of St Mary’s cathedral in the city-centre, was meant to facilitate the celebration of his 33rd wedding anniversary at the city sports centre…
Update
The Living Church has a report by George Conger Zimbabwe Bishop Cancels Sunday Services for Wedding Anniversary Party
the Bishop is getting wed –so no-one can go to Mass–is that it ? Talk about narcissistic ! I wonder what their Canons say about Sunday worship, the holy eucharist and the obligation of bishops, priests and parishes to enable the sacramental life ?
(Or have I missed something?).
Presumably this bishop would not countenance lgbt people getting wed under any circumstances ?!
`He has no jurisdiction over …, he has no authority over ‘
So presumably, all things being fair and non-hypocritical, the Nigerian contingent recognize that they have neither jurisdiction nor authority over other provinces either?
(Excuse me, I’m trying to work out whether to barf or laugh ironically.)
Well, that’s telling Rowan Williams just where he stands! If the Telegraph’s correspondent Jonathan Petre is correct about the meeting in Kigali when he says there is: “growing evidence that many of the so-called Global South primates will respond to his calls for restraint”, then I wonder where that will leave those who want to act now and who would see delay as abandoning their principles? My vision is that we might end up very soon with a worse case scenario, and that is Rowan persuades America to divide along shall we say a horizontal axis while some large Provinces… Read more »
This is a dead-serious question: Are these guys insane?
You would think the +Kunonga would want folks to go to church and as a community give thanks to God for his 33 years of marriage.
I think at times why do we strive to stay in the communion (with corruption and hate mongering and political manueverings), then I think, “if we can’t try to work toward peaceful co-exisitence and building bridges then we’re not about the mission Jesus has given us.”
Peace Bob
What a mess in Zimbabwe! By way of contrast, Southern Africa sounds reasonable and eirenic, focused on true Anglican values, respecting the diversity of the other Anglican provinces.
“This is a dead-serious question: Are these guys insane?” Marc
Emotionally troubled, feardriven, greedy and meanspirited come to my mind. I’m also deadly serious and fully aware of the obvious insecurity running rampant while Malango/Kunonga rush around pumping themselves up, demanding to be listened to while always scapegoating other Christian human beings to appear (especially to themselves) secure, important and RIGHT.
My Mom and Dad would have called them “religious nuts!”
“This is a dead-serious question: Are these guys insane?” Marc
Here’s a hint, Marc: their name is Legion… ;-/
Leonardo/JC
For diplomacy’s sake, I’ve been hesitant to go so far as to publicly make the implication of the word “Legion,” but your hint, JC, is probably as close to the mark as is Leonardo’s explications, none of which precludes the legitimate question of sanity. I’ll stick to my corner of the Communion, thank you very much.
There are a number of ballot initiatives in various states before the voters this fall – including my own, Virginia – to ban same sex marriage, civil unions, and invalidate contracts between people of the same gender that ‘purport to convey the benefits of marriage,’ which could include advance medical directives, pwoers of attorney, adoptions and so forth. All of this mean-mindedness is being proposed to ‘protect traditional marriage between one man and one woman.’ Seems to me straight marriage needs protection from the likes of the good bishop. Nice to know people like him feel empowered to denigrate and… Read more »
You know, it’s funny, if you step back and look at it. The spectacle of a bishop preventing people from worshipping God on the Lord’s Day so they can glorify his success in the great Christian calling of matrimony, and associated with very thinly veiled post-colonialist anti-white antipathy, which, while understandable is certainly no more Christian than the colonialist anti-black bigotry that preceded it, and the bishop all the while claiming to be “orthodox”. And expecting other people to acknowledge that “orthodoxy”. It’s just as well to laugh about it as cry about, no?