Special to the NNPA from the Global Information Network –
The Archbishop of Canterbury is seeking a closed door meeting with Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe over reports of “bullying, harassment and persecution” of members of the Anglican church.
The visit by Archbishop Rowan Williams is set for October. Mugabe has not yet offered to meet the cleric.
Zimbabwe’s Anglican church split in 2007 over the ordination of homosexual priests. One-time Bishop of Harare Nolbert Kunonga, opposed to gays in the clergy, left the church and declared himself an “archbishop”. He was excommunicated a year later.
In a media interview, Dr Kunonga was quoted as saying he aimed to take control the 3,000 Anglican churches, schools, hospitals and other properties serving 600,000 Anglicans in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi.
After a High Court ruling giving Kunonga interim custody of church properties, evictions were started against the sitting bishops, including The Rev. Dzikamai Mudenda, his wife and extended family.
“Kunonga was given custodianship of Anglican properties when he is no longer a member of our church and province and he is now evicting Anglican priests and we don't know who he is going to put in these houses. God help us," said the Rt Rev. Dr. Nicholas Chad Gandiya, whose own home was vandalized by thieves taking computers and cellphones.
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