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CCJPZ
By Right Rev. Bishop Alex Muchabaiwa, CCJPZ Bishop Chairman
BULLETIN
2013
'Let us do our best to create a Peaceful Zimbabwe .....and God will do the rest.'
he function of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) is to influence men's minds by the teaching of Our Divine Lord - that they shall learn to live together peacefully as members of one human family bound together in the solidarity of creation and redemption. The conscious acknowledgement of such brotherhood enables us to say with real meaning, Our Father, and alone will enable us to face the future together, with confidence and with clear conscience. Our Divine Lord challenges us to imitate His own example of love, yet few of more than 80% of Christians in Zimbabwe have had the faith and courage to 'love one another as we love ourselves'. This needs emphasis. According to our Christian faith, all principles of division, all national and cultural particularities, all social, political and religious differentiations are meant to be subordinated to the overall unity achieved by Christ. You are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians. 5:36.
It is only by the personal and practical recognition of the dignity of the individual, no matter what his origin or degree of social development, that civilisation can truly be defended.
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the gospel on issues that affect our lives, and offers us wisdom, insight and experience in dealing with them. The teachings are based on scripture developed from Church documents. Reflection on the six principles below should concern all members of society, for a whole nation has suffered, and may continue to suffer because of different actions, practices and policies that undermine gospel values. As Christians, we
cannot pick and choose which principles to follow; all of them are binding. Putting them into practice in daily life is as important as going to Church: Human Life and the Human Dignity: There is no distinction between defending human life and promoting the dignity of the
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View of the mighty Zambezi waters! But how many poor people access the water?
lives. But only a few have benefited. In some areas, job seekers have been asked to work for some hours at traditional leaders residents in order to be considered for employment at a local mine. Some may be asked to pay in cash, others in material (usually in the form of a beast in rural areas) whilst girls may be asked for sexual favors in order to get jobs at local mine. Transparency and accountability of what we are getting from our minerals has not been clear to most of us.But promotion of the common good should be the first priority of public policy, not the promotion of party political aims."It is the proper function of authority to arbitrate, in the name of the common good, between various particular interests; but it should make accessible to each what is needed to lead a truly human life: food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a family, and so on. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1992, par. 1909). In the order of things, people always come first and cannot be subservient to an economy, a political agenda or an ideology for that matter. In its final message, the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops noted that Africa is rich in human and natural resources but 'many of our people are still left to wallow in poverty and misery, wars and conflicts, crisis and chaos. These are very rarely caused by natural disasters. They are largely due to human decisions and activities by people who have no regard for the common good. Option for the Poor: In the application of the principle of the common good, some people remain poor and marginalized whilst others have become extraordinarily rich. The Church must show
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The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.
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...the principle of solidarity reflects St. Paul's theology of the body of Christ: where one person suffers, each person suffers and the whole body is weakened...
.......It is therefore safe to say that all citizens have full liberty to prefer one form of government to another, or one political party to another......
he Catholic Church in general and CCJPZ in particular have no intention of intruding into the field of party politics. It is therefore safe to say that all citizens have full liberty to prefer one form of government to another, or one political party to another, provided these are not contrary to the rule of right reason or to the maxims of Christian teaching. We appeal, therefore, to all Zimbabweans to be
united in a spirit of charity devoid of recrimination, and to try to resolve their differences with realism, understanding and unselfishness. However difficult the prospect of success in such an effort, CCJPZ is convinced that it is still possible to achieve it, and that by united and genuine determination to build up a truly Christian order of society in this country, the
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...The great problem of electoral violence can also be solved if we make a united and serious effort to try to be Christian in deeds and not in name only...
gift of peace will be possible for all of us, as well as the prosperity which flows from it. To prevent the further growth of bitterness ahead of electoral processes and to prepare the way for understanding, we must presume good faith even in those with whom we profoundly disagree. Whilst we may attempt to form their consciences to what we believe to be right, we must nevertheless respect the political choices and freedom of the individual conscience and look on it as sacrosanct. With the same authority, and as we move towards electoral processes, CCJPZ discourages all use of violence and encourage all Zimbabweans to abstain from it, no matter how serious the provocation. We encourage the responsible authorities to prosecute wrong doers and widely publicize any disciplinary action so that no one is seen to commit crime with impunity. Political leaders should desist from intimidating and mistreating members of the public, the media, civic communities the poor and the marginalised in the rural areas. Uniformed forces should not intimidate, but should maintain peace and security for all citizens at all times and especially before, during and after elections, and do so impartially. The mission of CCJPZ is the mission of Our Lord Himself, a mission of peace, of reconciliation. How can we possibly profess to be followers of Christ if we do not try to respect one another and care for one another? Our Lord's words are quite unmistakable on this point. They are both a warning and a programme of action: The mark by which all men will know you for my disciples will be the love you bear one another. (John 14:35) The great problem of electoral violence can also be solved if we make a united and serious effort to try to be Christian in deeds and not in name only. Electoral periods are momentous times in the history of Zimbabwe. Grave provocations have been given to many people and their emotions and wounds have not healed. They must be given hope! Their legitimate grievances must be examined fairly and with genuine desire to remove them. CCJPZ begs all to make a new effort to accept the challenge which the Gospel of Our Divine Lord presents to us; to take His words seriously; to try to understand one another; to respect one another, and in a spirit of sorrow for past neglect. ( Adapted from Pastoral Instruction of the Catholic Bishops of Rhodesia - First Sunday of Advent, 28th November, 1965)
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ELECTIONS
s we head towards general elections, CCJPZ would like to remind Zimbabweans of the importance of credible electoral processes. CCJPZ is very much concerned about the atmosphere that prevails before, during and after elections. A peaceful atmosphere should prevail throughout. Before Elections The period before elections is as important as the period during and after elections. All campaigns done by all political parties should be done peacefully. Political parties should be free to campaign. This is important because it helps voters to judge which political party will best serve their interests. People should, therefore, be free to attend political party meetings of their choice. It is not a crime to belong to any political party. On the contrary, it is actually healthy to be citizens that hold various political opinions. We call for tolerance among members of different parties. Tolerance, a condition for peace Coercion and harassment of political opponents and prohibition of political meetings are incompatible with democracy. The violence and intimidation that have been witnessed in the past dishonour our democratic status as a nation. Violence and intimidation breeds fear and tension in the citizens. No free will can be exercised under fear. As a result the elections may not be free and fair. CCJPZ therefore, call upon all contesting parties to be non-violent during the campaign period.
......Political parties should be f re e t o c a m p a i g n . T h i s i s important because it helps voters to judge which political party will best serve their interests.....
Political parties that contest in the forthcoming elections should have equal access to State resources. This can be in the form of media coverage, financial subsidies, etc. People have a right to be fully informed before they make their political choices.
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....it is actually healthy to be citizens that hold various political opinions. We call for tolerance among members of different parties....
Service A good candidate is willing to serve. In the cabinet, we have ministers for various ministries. To minister is to serve. A minister is a servant - a servant of the people. A good candidate is not selfish. He or she has the people who elected him or her at heart. The interest of the people come first before his own personal interest. Others are selfish. They don't serve. They appear only during election time when they solicit votes and never come back to the constituencies to give feedback or to plan with the people who
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A candidates or (political) parties that subject citizens to abusive treatment like torture, killings, abusive language, threatens people with torture if they don't vote for them cannot be good leaders.
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he temptations of Jesus in the desert can help us discover the various ways in which leaders are tempted to betray, and even fight the people they are asked to lead. (Mathew. 4:1-11) In times of such temptations, a good leader will always follow the example of Jesus Christ. (Matthew. 4:1-11) The first temptation is that of the politics of the stomach: food. If you are a true Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves of bread. Jesus is tempted to be self serving and to win people through bribery providing free food miraculously. He discards the idea that people follow him simply for the fact that he gives them material things. Leaders can also be tempted to use material things such as food, seed, and even cash in order to woo people to vote for them. Material things have been used by some leaders to divide communities and therefore cause violence. Good leadership discards bribery and blackmail. The second temptation is that of 'relinquishing responsibility'. If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for scripture says: He has given his angels orders about you and they will carry you in their arms in case you trip over a stone.
(Mathew.4:6) Satan wanted Jesus to act irresponsibly out of presumption. Leaders can be tempted to adopt an 'I-don't-care attitude' especially of the people who do not support their political parties. Leaders should always act responsibly and then ask God to complement what is beyond their reach. Good leaders do not make decisions that thwart the welfare of the communities they lead and then expect God to intervene and save the community from the consequences they would have willingly precipitated. Good leadership entails acting responsibly and impartially. Responsible leadership does not put the Lord God to the test! The third temptation is that of adopting evil means to acquire a perceived good end. I will give you all these, if you fall at my feet and do me homage. (Matthew. 4:9) Leaders are often tempted to use evil means to realise their objectives. Some leaders reach the extent of attacking, torturing and eliminating those who stand the chance of depriving them of power. Some are tempted to rig elections. Some are tempted to threaten or to force people to vote for them. Employing such evil means to attain power goes against Christian principles. Good leadership is Christlike. The Lord your God is the one to whom you must do homage, him alone you must serve. (Matthew. 4:10) Responsible leaders are God-fearing. They know that good
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......Members of all political affiliations are equally citizens of the State and must not be deprived of their social, economic and political rights....
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One example is the Creed of the chosen people, which we read on the First Sunday of Lent: My Father was a homeless Aramaean. He went down to Egypt to find refuge there, few in numbers; but there he became a nation, great, mighty and strong. The Egyptians ill-treated us, they gave us no peace and inflicted harsh slavery on us. But we called on the Lord, the God of our fathers. The Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, When confronted with the politically and with signs and wonders powerful, Jesus speaks the language of the (Deuteronomy 26:5b-8) boldest among Israel's prophets. He calls Herod 'that fox'. (Luke 13:32) and The Bible describes oppression in concrete and vivid terms: Oppression is the . The God of the Bible is always on the side of the
experience of being crushed, degraded, humiliated, exploited, impoverished, defrauded, deceived and enslaved. And the oppressors are described as cruel, ruthless, arrogant, greedy, violent and tyrannical; they are called 'the enemy'. Such words could only have been used by people who in their own lives and history had an immediate and personal experience of being oppressed. To them Yahweh revealed himself as the God of compassion who hears the cry of the oppressed and who liberates them from their oppressors. The God of the Bible is always on the side of the oppressed. He does not reconcile Moses and Pharaoh, or the Hebrew slaves with their Egyptian oppressors. Oppression is sin and cannot be compromised with. It must be overcome. God takes sides with the oppressed. As we read in Psalm 103:6: God who does what is right, is always on the side of the oppressed.
....The Bible has much to say about situations of confrontation. The conflict between the oppressor and the oppressed is a central theme throughout the Old and New Testaments...
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.....God is on your side. He always hears the cry of the poor and oppressed and saves them: I am with you always, to the close of the age....
courageously exposes the greed for money, power and adulation of the political elite. And he warns his disciples never to do likewise: Among the gentiles it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. With you this must not happen. No, the greatest among you must behave as if he were the youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves (Luke 22:25-27) . And he warns Pilate in no uncertain terms that he will be held to account by God for his use of power over life and death. (John 19:11) Throughout the history of the Church, persecuted Christians have remembered, prayed and sung the prophetic words of Mary: [The Lord] has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly. He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty. ( Luke 1:50-53) Generations of Zimbabweans, too, throughout their own long history of oppression and their struggle for liberation, have remembered, prayed and sung these texts from the Old and New Testaments and found strength, courage and perseverance in their faith that Jesus is on their side. That is the message of hope we want to convey: God is on your side. He always hears the cry of the poor and oppressed and saves them: I am with you always, to the close of the age. (Mathew 28:20)
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A CCJPZ Publication, 2013. For more information, comment & inputs visit http:// www.zcbc.co.zw/ccjp.html CCJPZ Blog: catholiccomforjusticeandpeaceinzimbabwe Africa Synod House 2nd Floor,29-31 Selous Avenue P.O.Box CY 284 Causeway, Harare Tel:792693/795259 Fax:+263-4-762861 Email: natdirccjp@zcbc.co.zw/ccjp@zcbc.co.zw
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