Adding to the regular spiritual activities, the National Movement of Catholic Students (NMCS) – Midlands region on Saturday the 12^th of March went on a ‘Show them love campaign’ targeting underprivileged children at Midlands Christian Children’s home in Gweru.

Students from tertiary institutions affiliated to NMCS Midlands region contributed and participated in the charity visit which timeously comes during the season of lent at a time when the church is encouraging members to practice the corporal works of mercy.

Midlands Christian Children’s home also known as Rodes Dale home houses and educates about 66 children below the age of 20 years.

Responding to Pope Francis’ call the works of Mercy the regional leadership ushered the members into a campaign to give love and show support orphans at the home.

The students donated clothes and shoes for the kids and also helped with different chores including ironing, cleaning the rooms and also digging in the garden.

Midlands Region President Miss Hope Marozva said the day was a success and the group enjoyed spending time with the children who are so inspiring and very cheerful despite their situation and difficulties.

She also said efforts will be made to continue with the campaign and maintain the relationship with the children.

Dominican Order Zimbabwe Regional Superior, Sr. Perlagia OP reiterated that the order’s 800^th jubilee is about preaching life in abundance.

She said this in an interview at a highly spirited Marathon and Fun run event over the weekend organised as part of the series of events marking the jubilee celebrations of the order’s formation.

She further said the focus for Dominican Sisters is to preach the gospel and this is done by teaching in schools, nursing in hospitals, and various pastoral works in various communities as the order tries to be good witnesses of Christ.

Expressing her gratitude for the splendid work being done by Dominican Sisters across the country, she also acknowledged the great contribution of Dominican Lay associates.

“All our associates from our schools, our hospitals and children’s homes came to join us in this marathon simply to say thank you to God for walking with us and for granting us your mercy,” she added.

St Dominic’s Chishawasha came first in the secondary schools category while North Park came first in the primary school category during the fun run. In Bulawayo, the Dominican schools also clashed for the Dominican Derby which gathers all Dominican schools to compete in various sporting disciplines.

Fourteen choirs from the Archdiocese of Harare’s Simon Peter and Mary guild recently participated in a fundraising local choir congress held by the guild at St Stephen’s Parish in Dzivarasekwa.

Notwithstanding the decision by the Parish council to ban Archdiocese choir competitions for parishes, the guild’s event went on aiming to fundraise towards a self-sustenance campaign, subsidizing guild events that involve travelling to places that are far away and also to purchase speakers, projector, chip fryer and a gas tank.

Holy Name parish priest, Fr George Bwanali SJ expressed his gratitude for the youths’ initiative and urged them to continue working hard in unity and harmony. St Stephen is an out station of the main parish, Holy Name.

“If there is unity amongst you, you can do anything you want because where there is unity there is love and where there is love God is there for God is love”, said Fr Bwanali SJ.

He also encouraged the youths to take such opportunities to know each other and interact so as to build friendships and even relationships translate into mature relations.

The Archdiocese guild chairperson Mr. Privilege Hombore said the event was a success and not only did it manage to raise the money but also managed to bring the youths together.

The event was also attended by youths from other guilds in the archdiocese to which Mr Hombore said shows unity amongst the youths in the archdiocese.

“I am very happy that youths from other guilds have come to support us, this shows that we are one family despite our different guilds, when other guilds have events we also show up to support which is a very good thing, we can always count on each other”, said Mr. Privilege Hombore.

St Stephen’s Dzivarasekwa won the competition with St Clare and Uganda Martyrs taking the second and third places respectively.

ZIMBABWE’S most renowned and internationally recognized cultural icon Oliver Mtukudzi is in South Africa with a new gospel CD collection.

Mtukudzi who started his music career in 1975 at the tender age of 23 has since then released 61 albums.

‘God bless you’ is the name of Tuku’s new gospel collection.

In an interview with SABC’s Morning Live Mtukudzi said for as long as there are people, there is always something to talk or to sing about.

He says everything comes from the people.

When asked about his visit in the country he says, “I am here to try to let people know about the new collection gospel album I have just released.”

Life is about competition, dominance and outdoing each other. Competition is healthy and rewarding if it is meant to nurture talent.

But it can be debilitating if losing is used as a put-down by spectators or other people who hold a stake.

This competition we witness every day in its various forms in this physical world also manifests itself in the spiritual realm.

There are individuals and spirits that seek to dominate and conquer others; they stifle spiritual growth and well-being of Christians and instead start a cycle of dependence, where believers have to seek out the “man-of-god” each time they think something has gone wrong.

In extreme cases, some might hold on to posters with pictures of their spiritual leaders in the hope of a miracle.

This is most evident in spirit-based churches where people seem to black out and follow a leader’s instructions to the letter no matter how bizarre or even when it borders on the abusive.

That is a sure sign of the leader having won the spiritual contest and the faithful seem to be under a spell; congregants do the leader’s bidding without question.

The goal is to grow the numbers and subdue the spirits, but healthy churches and anointed shepherds point the faithful to God and to the cross.

The faithful end up acting like robots; when a “prophet” waves his hand, they all fall down, when a leader speaks in tongues, they shake and convulse as if they have been hit by a bolt of lightning. Or they can be send to sleep, be beaten or spend the whole service carrying a grown up man because his feet must not touch the ground until after he finishes preaching.

Some prophets have posted pictures of themselves sitting on top of congregants, beating them up or kicking them and the victims say they feel nothing.

These are not miracles but physical manifestation of spiritual dominance and hypnosis at play.

What am I driving at? Let us not willingly surrender our willpower and souls to other powers that are not of God.

Let us not enslave ourselves, physically and spiritually. Let us not create spiritual victors by being complacent and willing partakers in fake miracles.

To submit to an authority is not to be powerless before a leader. We need believers who can stand up to wrong-doing and even challenge some of the signs being performed in today’s churches.

There were believers at Berea, diligent and strong-willed, they listened to the apostles and then checked the scriptures to see if what they had been taught was recorded in the holy book. Acts 17 v 10-12 reads: “As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea [from Thessalonica].

On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.  Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” [NIV] If we do not make it a habit to reconcile sermons with the word of God, we risk being led the wrong way. If we do not seek to understand the significance of certain signs in our walk of faith, we risk being blind followers.

Each time Jesus performed a miracle, it was for a very good reason and he did not publicise his deeds. Those that were healed testified as to his good works.

In all this confusion around Christian belief, what must the faithful do? It is written in James 3 v 17-18; “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere.  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”[NIV]

Let us remain alive in Christ, not statistics in church records. His grace is sufficient.

GOSPEL musician Rev Togarepi Chivaviro who rocked the country with a hit song Ebenezer has signed with World Renowned Online music distribution giant TuneCore, in order to reach every corner of the world.

In an interview with this publication, Chivaviro said this will ensure that his fans around the world are not starved of his music which has become a “blessing to many souls”.

“God’s grace is surely taking us somewhere, Chivaviro told NewZimbabwe.com.

“I have been with them (TuneCore) for 2 years now, serving about 5 stores on a trial basis with remarkable results, but this time with the way our latest album Mhepo Inoperekedza is being received by fans, they signed us for the full package, ensuring access to about 150 stores across the globe.

“This is the direction that music distribution is taking; the CDs and DVDs are going out the cassette and vynl way. Now we are even getting responses from as far as Australia, Japan, USA, Brazil etc.”

Chivaviro added that CD distribution was being eroded by piracy and that many people now listen to music on their phones rather than CD players or shuttles.

“A person can just google Mhepo Inoperekedza and get so many options to download the song for some cents. TuneCore collects our royalties and every month we receive our dues.”

Rev’s Chivaviro songs have been doing well on YouTube with more than 5 getting above 100,000 views each.

Ebenezer, which was uploaded around May last year, now stands at 637,870 views and is still going, making it probably the most viewed Zimbabwean song in such a short time.

The video is fast gaining ground on Oliver Mutukudzis Neria uploaded by BBC Africa in September 2009 which stands at 687,799 views.

The Mhepo Inoperekedza album has been well received by fans, delighting Rev Chivaviro. “In fact, almost the entire album is doing well. Already, songs like Mhepo, Zvichanaka and Chikomborero have entered various radio charts and are doing well there. We hope by going digital and international the number of our fan base will grow and many souls will be uplifted”

Bishop of Gweru diocese, Rt Rev. Xavier Munyongani who represented Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’s Conference (ZCBC) at the Extraordinary and Ordinary Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2014 and 2015 on the family, respectively encouraged married faithful to respond to the call of their vocation and take extra care of their children and spouses.

He said this during a mass celebrated by bishops from Zimbabwe’s 8 dioceses at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Harare on the 6^th of April following their annual plenary meeting.

In his homily, Bishop Munyongani said if all people were Christians in practice and if they had all risen together with Christ the Church would be on a whole new level on the issue of divorce.

“The Synod (on the family) was talking about living together, bearing together, facing the situation together. …what is the common way we can take together as the Church of God? …If we were truly Christian and if we had risen with Christ we would not discuss divorce in any court”, he said.

He went on to challenge men to stand with their families and all married couples to obey the teachings of the Bible, which is the supreme law despite having all other legal interventions that are set to balance roles and responsibilities between women and men in social, economic and political spheres.

“The United Nations Charter on Human Rights is good but it cannot supersede what God, who is the divine law giver who said wives should be submissive to their husbands. Husbands you must love your wives as Christ has loved the Church. But if you husbands cannot stand for your families even in these harsh economic conditions, you are not like Christ” he said.

The Bishop implored the congregation to reflect on how missionaries like the Jesuits and Dominican sisters martyred in Musami did not run away despite the dangers and difficulties they faced in their mission and how it must motivate families to soldier on and show each other love in times of difficult circumstances.

Popular gospel musician Rev Togarepi Chivaviro, whose single ‘Ebenezer’ is a must for every music lover’s playlist, has been nominated for two awards in the upcoming Trumpet Africa Gospel Awards 2016.

The Awards will be held in Pretoria state theatre South Africa on the 29th of May with Rev Chivaviro and his group invited at the awards ceremony.

The Ebenezer hit maker has been nominated in the Best Gospel Collaboration category together with Celebration Centre choir Bonnie Deuschle (Zimbabwe): Yahweh Wumi & Victizzle (Nigeria), Benachi & Kaberere (Kenya).

In the Best Traditional Gospel category, Rev Chivaviro will battle it out with Enkay (Nigeria) Shongwe & Kuphuka (Swaziland) Worship House (South Africa).

In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Chivaviro said: “We thank God for taking us this far. “We were very humbled when the organisers invited us to come and perform at the event after checking our videos on YouTube.

“However, being nominated is deeper grace; this song (Ebenezer) has opened unlimited doors for us.

“We believe we are going there representing our country and we definitely will do our best.”

He encouraged Zimbabweans based in Gauteng province, especially Pretoria to come in numbers to the Pretoria State Theatre on the evening of May 29 to support them.

“Let’s bring our flags and wave them high as we perform and worship on that stage.

“By God’s grace we might bring home something; but we are very satisfied with the recognition itself.”

A month ago the ‘Ebenezer’ hit­maker signed a deal with world renowned online music distribution giant TUNECORE to ensure that his fans around the globe are not starved of his music.

Rev Chivaviro’s songs have been doing extremely well on YouTube with more than five of them attracting about 100,000 views each.

‘Ebenezer’, which was uploaded in May last year, now stands at 637,870 views, making it probably the most viewed all Zimbabwean song in such a short time.

The song fast gaining ground on Oliver Mtukudzi’s ‘Neria’ which was uploaded by BBC Africa in September 2009 which stands at over 700,000 views.

THE English International version dictionary defines a misnomer as ‘the use of a term that is misleading; it is the use of an inappropriate name’.

A misnomer is a term whose common usage conflicts with a technical sense. Simply put, it is a term which does not mean what it is purported to indicate.

Oftentimes, a misnomer carries irony; it is simply a wrong designation which, however, may be widely used or popular.

Against this backcloth, the term `manof­God` has become a commonly used term in recent times within the charismatic movement.

It is a highly­fancied phrase which denotes that the person so referred has become a spiritual authority of some sort and has moved closer to God in the spiritual realm.

People sometimes even `manifest` demons merely by seeing the individuals perceived to be men of God. There is some envisaged reverence to the title.

The expression has become synonymous with religious leaders who act with spiritual authority and impunity, threatening congregants with curses and claiming to carry God`s presence.

The expression ‘man of God’ (MoG) has been used to symbolize that one is a prophet, apostle or spokesperson for God in contemporary times.

The ‘man of God` phenomenon has seen people parting with things of immense value in the belief that by ‘seeding’ to the supposedly anointed `men of God` blessings would flow to them.

Expensive vehicles and properties have been lost in this way and the result has been the pouring of scorn on religion in general and Christianity in particular.

Perhaps, to give a better glimpse of the `men of God’, these people own expensive vehicles and, at times, own private jets.

They enjoy reverence that is close to worship from their followers. They command huge followings and can even fill up whole stadiums.

They also boast an expensive dress code with expensive suits flaunted pompously while deriding the poor in their sermons.

They openly mock the poor. It would appear that by coining the phrase, ‘man of God,’ these men have given themselves an air of `untouchability`; that they cannot be questioned or brought to account because they represent God.

Resultantly, the world today has seen destructive, foul, disgusting doctrines going unquestioned because people have been taught to fear and sheepishly submit to the ‘man of God.’

In extreme circumstances women have been sexually abused and those who dared question have been threatened with curses.

In the Robert Martin Gumbura case, it emerged that his followers had literally handed over their welfare to him since the man was known to “place people in the devil’s hands”.

The title has become a ticket to strike fear in the hearts of people and an instrument for wanton abuses by some members of the clergy. Who is a man of God? This term presents a serious challenge in modern times.

Indeed, those who benefit from it would not be happy with the subject being dissected. Contrary to the widespread abuse of the term, according to the Bible everyone born of God; everyone who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ at baptism becomes a child of God.

At baptism each person receives the Holy Spirit to become a child of God. There is no child of God who is superior to the other; neither is there a better version of a true child of God.

The ‘man of God’ fallacy was carefully coined by leaders bent on striking fear in the hearts of the laity to the effect that their actions and behaviours are not brought to scrutiny because they assume some sacredness by purportedly standing in for God. Why this term is a misnomer?

This term is a misnomer of a gargantuan scope as it seeks to give mere mortals spiritual superiority over other mortals.

It connotes the idea that some souls are closer to the Almighty God than others. It seeks to take away accountability because, oftentimes, when people brand themselves ‘men of God’ they assume that they are only accountable to God and that their actions should not be tested in view of the Word.

It is the same with the popular myth of spiritual fathers today. Jesus Christ, in the same vein, slammed these titles, “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven…For those who humble themselves will be exalted (Matt 23:8­9)

Every Christian who has received Jesus Christ to be his Savior receives the Holy Spirit and therefore qualifies to be called a child of God, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body ­whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free…”

According to Romans 8:9, a person that does not have the Holy Spirit cannot belong to Christ.

The Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation for believers. Every Christian is therefore a child of God or “man or woman of God.”

It is not the preserve of a few individuals who claim better association and understanding of God.

Young Christian Students (YCS) at the University of Zimbabwe embarked on an environmental clean-up and awareness campaign in areas around the university in a bid to reduce the rate of littering and advocate for environmental care on the 23^rd of April.

About thirty members from Zimbabwe Young Christian Students, Joshualites and the Catholic Society at University of Zimbabwe participated in the event.

The Catholic students group managed to pick up litter from the streets and made efforts unblock some water drainages which were blocked by piles of plastics, metal cans and also plastic containers of various products.

Following the campaign to clean up the streets, the group managed to place three rubbish bins cemented on slabs donated by the National Movement of Catholic Students (NMCS).

YCS UZ Chairperson, Miss Polite Magadza, said the group’s action was aimed at raising awareness of men’s responsibility in maintaining the environment and to correct and exemplify how much students and the community need to keep the environment clean.

“We need to correct our past errors as students and proactively prevent further pollution of our environment,” she urged the students.

She appealed to all organizations with capacity to come in and support similar student campaigns which require a lot of material, information and financial aid for them to be successful and sustainable and to everyone to make the cleanliness of the environment their responsibility.

The campaign, is one of the group’s action plans for the semester following a series of discussions on the topical environment and climate change issues and also the calls by Pope Francis in his Encyclical, Laudato Si-On care of our common home.

On the 1^st of May 2016, St Joseph’s parish in Hatfield celebrated the feast of its patron Saint (St Joseph the worker) with a Family Day.

The mass and activities held at the parish brought together congregants from the parish’s two out centres, St Patricks Epworth and St Pius Manyame who also participated in various activities to reverence their patron saint and honour the labourers.

The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 and gave all workmen a model and a protector who offered to God with patience and joy and provided for the necessities of his holy spouse and of the Incarnate Son of God, and thus became an example to all labourers.

St Jospeh’s parish priest, Fr Owen Kudumba O’Carm encouraged parishioners in his homily to emulate the life of Joseph who through his work as a carpenter provided for his family and was never shy of his profession.

“Let us be able to do the work that God has asked of us and come to the rewards he has promised. Let us be humble to accept the work we do to sustain our families and in that work, let the spirit of Christ be seen and be heard in what we do and say,” he said.

Fr Kudumba O’Carm encouraged people to reflect and draw lessons from Joseph’s life such as allowing the will of God to be done through his wife, Mary and to avoid deterring others to realise the vocation they are called to by God.

On Sunday of the Feast of Divine Mercy, parishioners of Our Lady of the Wayside, Mt Pleasant, visited and celebrated Mass with inmates at Harare Central Prison as one of the Year of Mercy programs.

Before the liturgical celebration the 22 member Catholic inmates’ choir praised the Lord with inspiring sacred hymns before the parishioners and other inmates which included Mwari ngoni and Mwari huyai.

In his homily Fr. Muhamba SJ expressed his joy in seeing that the inmates have showed their faith despite the situation they are in and he encouraged them to continue praying and seek the face of God always.

“We should not seek God when we are in trouble only but always even in good times so expect you to continue preaching the goodness of the Lord now and when you leave this place.”

He encouraged the inmates to keep on preaching to each other not only by word of mouth but also buy living the faith in doing good works.

Zimbabwe Prison Services Superintended Brighton Matombo expressed his gratitude to the church and said the donation is very essential for the inmates.

He said the inmates also need love and many people should continue to do like what the Catholic Church is doing to show them that they are still important and loved.

Mr Tashinga Tsvetu, a Year of Mercy-Liturgy committee at the parish encouraged other church members to visit the prisoners as a way of caring for others and said the parish is looking forward to engaging female prison units.

The group was made up of parishioners from Our Lady of the Wayside and St Johns Emerald Hill and Christon bank centers.

Former St Ignatius College students convened to celebrate with Fr. Anthony Watsham SJ on his 92^nd birthday which also marked the launch of a revitalized Alumni Association at the college on the 23^rd of April.

The Jesuit Provincial, Fr Chiedza Chimhanda SJ, concelebrated the mass with Fr Watsham SJ in honour of a humble man who strove for the greater good and committed to over four decades of teaching at the hill top.

He first saw the light of day in England, Islesbury, on April 30, 1924 and joined the Society of Jesus on 7 September 1947 and was later ordained a priest on 31st July 1958.

In 1967, Fr Watsham SJ became part of the impressive St Ignatius College after its establishment in 1962 and moved briefly for about 20 years to Macheke, before he made his second coming remained, to this day. Fr. Watsham has taught Biology for 28 years before retiring in 1994.

In his service as a biology teacher, he has received international honors such as the election for a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and his work in Biology has unheralded accolades, in particular his numerous products based around the globe working in as medical doctors, scientists, pharmacists, molecular specialists, research scientists, entomology, education, community, national affairs and several others.

Addressing the congregants attending the mass, the Interim Chairperson of the Alumni Association, Mr. William Mandinde praised Fr Watsham SJ as a simple man who has influenced many students to greatness through imparting rare life skills and laid their spiritual upbringing.

He further said the Alumni Association is there to aid their former school’s development and will continue contributing in every way they can.

Dr. Walter Mangezi, testified that he was inspired by Fr Watsham’s biology lessons which moved him from his intended career path of engineering to the calling in the field of medicine.

Dr Anna Mary Nyakabau, one among over 35 doctors and pharmacists mentored by Fr Watsham SJ said she felt challenged by his words that no female doctor had emerged from his classes and praised him for remaining a mentor and an inspiration in her life.

The old adage “education is the key to life” has seen its mark being realized at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, where prisoners strive to acquire both academic and professional educational qualification at various levels.

“A mixed ‘school’ at the prison caters for all classes of ‘students’.  Fellow prisoners have been ‘upgraded” to teachers and headmasters in this set up.

Students from the Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace from the University of Zimbabwe recounted their visit to the prison. CCJP-UZ members were very much perplexed that Chikurubi has a ‘school’ running with different sections, and each section has a headmaster who is responsible for his ‘school’.

These ‘headmasters’ voluntarily teach their cell mates and these students actually write ZIMSEC exams and study for professional courses.

The school however has a lot of challenges that impair its smooth running, like the fact that they do not have chalkboards or chalks.

They also do not have textbooks and this is hard especially for subjects like Mathematics and English. Thus, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (UZ) is on an accelerated campaign to provide the inmates’ basic educational needs.

CCJP-UZ has launched the ‘Donate a Book and Help Mend a Broken Life’ campaign and kindly appeal to well-wishers to help support this noble cause.

Pope Francis has called on all spheres of society in their complexities to respect and honour women. His message in the Pope video, released by The Pope Worldwide Prayer Network, as the prayer intention for May, His Holiness expressed concern for the societies’ response and care for the women.

He said the contribution of women in all areas of human activity is undeniable, beginning with the family.

According to the pontiff, it is not enough only to recognise their importance but more has to be done to show honour and respect for the beautiful being.

He regrets that as society ‘we have done little for the women in very difficult situations’ such as those who for various reasons and imperfect situations are trapped in are ‘marginalised, despised, and even reduced to slavery.’

Pope Francis, in a softened tone implored the audience that they, together with him, ‘must condemn sexual violence against women and remove the barriers that prevent their full integration in social, political and economic life.’

He concluded by appealing to all nations and leaders, who believe his call is right, to join his ‘petition that in all countries of the world women may be honoured and respected and valued for their essential contribution to society.’

With many students being away from their homes to spend time with their mothers and guardians on Mother’s Day, members of the Faith Love Abstinence Status Hope Network (FLASH Network) at University of Zimbabwe spent glorious hours of the 8th of May, with the patient mothers of Mashambanzou HIV/AIDS Treatment centre.

The visit to Mashambanzou profoundly timed on Mother’s Day, was aimed at going beyond the intellect and care for the whole person and the group interacted and socialised with the patients sharing jokes, singing and dancing.

Owing to the warm visit and the honour, the patients passionately shared their life experiences in a very open manner and encouraged the youths to abstain from sex and also urged those who might have fallen victim to earthly desires to get tested and reform.

FLASH Network Chairperson, Miss Rutendo Dutiro, said the visit had a great impact on the members who were exposed to varying life experiences and prompted to reflect on their lives. In her sentiments, Rutendo expressly echoed that, “Everyone deserves to be loved no matter what they have been through or how much they have wronged, for no one is perfect. God loved us all and thus we also ought to love one another as He has loved us,” she said.

She further encouraged more people to take time and engage in spiritual and corporal works of mercy, as one’s face might be the hope these people need to raise their stature and esteem in life.

FLASH Network, is a subgroup of the Catholic Society at the University of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) Secretary General Fr. Frederick Chiromba last Thursday strongly urged Catholic legislators to work for a reconciled Zimbabwe.

He said this during the Eucharist celebrations held for members of Catholic Legislators Network at the Parliament building in Harare where he also shared with them the vision of the bishop’s conference

Exhorting the legislators to have faith that works for justice, Fr Chiromba said the aim of the church is to work for a reconciled Zimbabwe where people live in peace and harmony.

“The church aims to instil values in the nation of spirituality, morality, promotion of unity and diversity and respect for human rights and dignity,” he added.

He added that the church is working through various commissions to partner and compliment the work of government in areas like education, health and social services.

Fr Chiromba further noted that the challenges faced by society are the challenges faced by the church and he stressed on the importance of creating strong institutions which will live beyond this generation for the benefit of every Zimbabwean.

The Deputy Chairperson of the Catholic Legislators Network Honourable Never Kanye, thanked Fr Chiromba for the advice and said the legislators will call upon themselves to be messengers of God though he also expressed his worries in the low attendance of the Network’s members which could affect the mission of the group.

The Lenten call, “Give them something to eat yourselves” by the Archbishop of Harare, His Grace Rev Robert Ndlovu inspired youths from Saints Agnes and Alois guild to visit and put a smile on the children at All Souls Mission Children’s home as they donated 100 broiler chicks and many other items.

Inspired by the theme ‘Celebrating with responsibility, the Year of Mercy’ the members of the guild travelled to Mutoko, breaking the bonds of giving aid to the needy around Harare only and extending to those in the peripheries.

Part of the goods handed over to the children’s home included various food groceries, washing detergents and stationery.

The guild wished not to give a solution to the immediate needs but to also ensure they provide long term solutions to some of the shortages of food and finances at the home by donating 100 broiler chicks together with the required feeds to feed them until the selling point.

Receiving the goods on behalf of the home which houses about 26 children ranging from pre-school to high school, Sr Virginia LCBL expressed her gratitude and said the kids were very happy having their elder brothers and sisters visiting them.

She said while they are making efforts to stay in a family set up so as to ensure the kids grow and get used to co-existing with others just as others in families do, the home also face challenges like water shortages due to non-functional water system, inadequate daily provisions, the unavailability of funds to pay for their utility bills, school fees, salaries among others.

Saints Agnes and Alois guild were also joined by Scared Heart of Jesus Guild members from Our Lady of Wayside, Mt Pleasant Parish who also added to the charity pack.

Unpacking the Pope’s exhortation Amoris Laetitia recently in Harare, Fr Lawrence Daka SJ urged everyone around to make peace with God and accept those who are in “irregular” unions and help them grow.

The pontiff’s exhortation which was inspired by deliberations of two synods on the family conducted in 2014 and 2015 in Rome address, chief among others, issues of love in the family and the family in the church.

Quoting the opening lines of the Pope Francis’ exhortation, Fr Daka SJ stressed that, ‘the joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the church’ and that when families are happy that same joy over pours into the church as well.

He urged the audience that individual members of the family need to observe the importance of dialogue in families and avoid treating partners as disposable materials.

“We treat affective relationships the way we treat material objects and the environment: everything is disposable; everyone uses and throws away, takes and breaks, exploits and squeezes to the last drop. Then, goodbye,” he said.

For contemporary challenges in the church that include same homosexuals, the divorced, the remarried and the single parents, the Pope exhorted that the members involved should be admitted to full participation in the church.

“The Church must accompany with attention and care the weakest of her children, who show signs of a wounded and troubled love, by restoring in them hope and confidence, like the beacon of a lighthouse in a port or a torch carried among the people to enlighten those who have lost their way or who are in the midst of a storm. Let us not forget that the Church’s task is often like that of a field hospital.”(Chapter 8.291).

In his presentation, Fr Daka SJ also emphasized on what the Pope termed empowering the local church. The Pope challenged the church to put in place structures of pastoral care that help solve family problems and hammered on the pontiff’s call that the local authorities must find solutions that best suit their societies’ needs.

Responding to the presentation, Dr Alice Zinyemba, who conducted a survey for the IMBISA Bishops of Africa prior to the first Synod on the family in 2014, embraced the Pope’s exhortation it addresses practical issues and a lot of concerns that were raised by women in Zimbabwe and in the Southern Africa region.

“I can happily say as women we have been liberated and we can participate freely in the life of church”, said Dr Zinyemba.

She also challenged parents to create space for dialogue with their children on issues of sexuality in response to the Pope’s call for a ‘need for sex education’ for the young and also for them to consider the good opportunities of social media.

Professor Ranganai Zinyemba said while the exhortation elevates marriage and encourages families. It also directly challenges the African men to value love and respect for their partners in marriage and to admit their wrongs and pave way for dialogue.