The Words of the Milingo Family
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The Words of the Milingo Family |
Former
Lusaka Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo
Former Lusaka Catholic Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo will this weekend be installed as a patriarch of Africa in charge of the southern African region.
The outspoken cleric will be installed as the third patriarch of Africa on Sunday at Barlastone Park School near Twikatane Farms in Lusaka by several church denominations.
Archbishop Milingo told the Times in Lusaka that the ceremony would follow a similar one held in Cameroun which was organized by five churches.
He said the gathering would be held under the auspices of the Ecumenical Catholic Apostolic Church of Peace and would be witnessed by several married bishops.
Archbishop Milingo said he would be installed as a patriarch of Africa in charge of southern Africa which includes Cameron, Congo Brazzaville and all the other countries in the neighborhood.
He said he was humbled to be honored and expressed confidence that he would competently represent the churches that had recognized his contributions to humanity.
Among the churches which would be represented are the Old Catholic Church, Orthodox, Liberal Catholic of Spain, Charismatic Church of Brazil, Independent Catholic and others from the United States of America and other parts of the world.
Founder of Imani Temple of America, Augustus Stallings is among the clerics expected from the US.
Archbishop Stallings is a former Jesuit bishop in the Roman Catholic Church.
"My installation has two meanings: The first one is that the African Church leaders think I have reached the age to be an elder of bishops.
"Secondly, they look at me and feel that using my spiritual experience I have greatly contributed to the Church unity. They have seen how I have silently suffered many injustices," Archbishop Milingo said.
Archbishop Milingo, who stunned the world when in 2001, while serving as a Roman Catholic archbishop married Maria Sung, said most of the churches involved followed almost all the Roman Catholic Church doctrines and conducted mass in a similar fashion.
He said the ceremony on August 15 would start with a traditional prayer service from a Ngoni traditional group and would be followed by a Catholic mass.
Africa currently has two such patriarchs in Alexandria, Egypt, and in Ethiopia, and Archbishop Milingo said his installation would mark a milestone for southern Africa.
The 80-year-old priest heads the Married Priests Now Prelature, which he founded following his marriage.