Don’t become praise singers, clerics told

By ROGERS KALERO

MOST clergymen have converted themselves into praise singers for the UPND because of hunger and poverty which have continued to rise in communities while the country’s economic indicators are showing positive growth, Munalula Moola has said.
Mr Moola, the Patriotic Front (PF) Copperbelt media director says the clergy should at all times resist the temptation of converting themselves into praise singers over pieces of silver and betray their flock.
He said it was disappointing that worsening poverty and hunger could force some clergymen of forgetting their call to shepherd their flock to God and were instead asking for freebies from government in exchange with their loyalty to their calling.
In an interview, Mr Moola said most clergymen had failed to provide guidance to those in government as they have reduced themselves to praise singers of the ruling party.
“Most clergymen, with am exception of those from the Catholic Church, have succumbed to the worsening poverty and hunger in the country such that they are being given crumbs to sing praises and dance to any song being played by those from the ruling party,” he said.
Mr Moola has challenged the church to be open and frank with the UPND government by advising them to stop being hypocritical, preaching unity, peace and love while at the same time dividing the country through hatred and vengeance
He said the church should not act like an extension of the ruling UPND, but should be courageous, honest and principled like the Catholic Church has been, when it comes to speaking against corruption, selective justice and other vices being perpetrated by those in government.

“In most church services and occasions, President Hichilema has attended, he has been urging the church to preach peace, love and unity when his government has shown no mercy on opposition politicians,”