The Post (Lusaka)
4 April 2005
Lusaka — WE have lost a friend of the whole world, charge d' affaires at the Vatican Embassy in Zambia Monsignor Sladan Cosic has said.
In his message on the death of Pope John Paul II, Monsignor Cosic said the world had not only lost the Pope, but a man who preached good news and fought for humanity.
"Although he is dead he will still be our Pope and his spirit will remain on earth and still remain on us," he said.
Monsignor Cosic said the late Pope's visits to many countries in the world was to unite all the nations to become nations of peace.
"He was not only for Catholics, but all religions and the world at large," he said.
Monsignor Cosic said before the Pope died, he sent his last message to the children of the world.
"In his message to young people, the Pope said: I was looking for you, now that you have come, thank you for this," he said.
Monsignor Cosic invited all the people of goodwill regardless of their church affiliation to attend the mass in honour of the late Pope to be held at Marian Shrine, Chelston, tomorrow at 15:00 hours.
He invited all the people to sign the book of condolences from Tuesday up to Friday.
Former pontifical council member Clara Chibesakunda said the Pope did his work with a lot of love for his flock.
She said the Pope was a father of all and that when he visited Zambia he gave chance to those who might not have met him physically to see him.
Emmanuel Nyoni, 10, of Church of God's Cathedral of Praise said the Pope brought children to God.
"We shall miss the Pope because he loved children and his last message to children was a sign of leaving leadership to children," he said.
Nyoni said children should follow the footsteps of the late Pope if they want to be proper future leaders.
"They should do what he did when he was still alive and they should die working for God like the Pope did," said Nyoni.
Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) spokesperson Father Paul Samasumo said the Pope's death had robbed the world of the strongest moral voice it had ever had in a very long time.
Fr Samasumo said it was hard to come to terms with the death of the Pope but that the Church was somehow prepared for the worst.
"There is sadness and celebration of this man's life, his achievements and a recognition that he did suffer a lot up to the time of his death. We are sad at the same time because death is one thing you never get used to," he said.
Fr Samasumo said the late Pope was a tremendous gift to the Catholic Church in general and Zambia in particular as he had visited the country in 1989.
He said the Pope was a great friend of Africa.
Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary Rev Japhet Ndhlovu said the late Pope John Paul II was an indomitable figure despite increasing infirmities.
He said the Pope was a statesman who helped bring down Eastern European communism, and a defender of the faith who insisted that the church confront the sins of its past to prepare it for the third millennium.
"In the Ecumenical circles, we shall remember him for his messages, which were that faith must be grounded in truth and that the key to freedom is love and service to God. His themes were peace, justice and the sanctity of life. He warned that a spreading 'culture of death' in forms ranging from genocide and 'ethnic cleansing' to abortion, euthanasia and the frenzied pursuit of material goods, was leading to a blunting of the moral sensitivity of people's consciences," he said.
Rev Ndhlovu said the Pope took unprecedented steps toward opening dialogue with other religions.
"He spoke frequently and forcefully on political questions. He was also a critic of capitalism and its treatment of the poor," he said.
Rev Ndhlovu said the Pope was an intellectual, a pragmatist, a scholar who held degrees in theology and philosophy, and an essayist, poet and playwright.
He said the late Pope was a defender of liberty who had experienced oppression at the hands of Nazis and communists.
"He was greatly respected by many including many of us who are not Roman Catholics," said Rev Ndhlovu.
In Kabwe, regional Episcopal Vicar Fr Leonard Namhuvumba said the Pope had humility.
Celebrating mass at Sacred Heart Parish, Fr Namhuvumba said the Pope had the true feeling of the suffering of the poor people in the world.
He said when the Pope visited Asia he went to a Mosque where he knelt to pray in the midst of Moslems.
"Reporters were amazed. They wanted to know which God he was praying to and they had to pose questions to the cardinals," Fr Namhuvumba said.
And Ravindra Patel, a Hindu of Kabwe, said the death of the Pope was never a thing that left people to be happy apart from the death of Christ.
He said it was sad that the Pope had died because he had a heart for the poor.
"The Catholic Pope John Paul II was brave. He loved to talk peace, justice and was indeed a peacemaker," Patel said. "He even travelled to places where there was war to talk peace."
And Muhammad Saidi, a Muslim, said the Pope was a unifying person of various religions of the world.
He said the Church must select a person who would be like him.
And United Church of Zambia (UCZ) preacher evangelist Evelyn Kamwendo called on Church leaders to emulate the late Pope John Paul II in speaking for the good of humanity.
"As we mourn our spiritual father, we as Church leaders should follow in the example of the late Pope, in his loving caring and devoted manner for people," she said. "He has done tremendous work not only for the Catholics but for all of humanity. We all need to be devoted and loving as he was."
Church of God Cathedral of Praise elder John Wilberforce said the late Pope did whatever he did in good faith and that he had accomplished his task.
He said the late Pope loved people, leading them to Christ Jesus and equipped them for effective service, which was the greater vision of Christians.
"We may not talk about his death because we are Pentecostals but all of us have one history," Wilberforce said.
Lusaka's St Ignatius parish priest Father Joe Keaney described the late Pope John Paul II as a conservative Pope.
Fr Keaney said the Church was praying that they choose a successful person to take over.
He said the late Pope was always willing and ready to listen to people to the cries of the people.
During mass, Fr. Peter Carroll applauded the Pope for having tirelessly prayed for peace.
Fr Carroll said the Pope had lived his life reaching many people regardless of status.
In Luanshya, Uganda Martyrs Catholic priest Fr. Martin Bwalya said it was sad that the Pope had died.
Fr Bwalya said a special mass would be held in a few days in respect for the Pope.
In Ndola and Kitwe, Catholic churches had normal mass.
The parishioners hoped that a special mass would be held for the Pope.
The Pope died on Saturday at the age of 84, after becoming one of the longest-serving pontiffs in history.
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