AS I fiddled with the remote control last week, surfing from one news channel to the other, my favourite pastime when I find the rare opportunity to be home with my family, I couldn't help but be drawn to the Catholic sex abuse scandal which has been receiving unprecedented airtime on most major international stations and has just refused to go away.

Thanks to DStv and their revolutionary PVR I we no longer have to fight over the same remote with my three young sons as they jostle amongst themselves for supremacy over this technological invention, in my view the second best ever since the invention of toast bread.

I say so because I was saved the prodding and embarrassing questions of my teenage son asking me what the fuss was about the Catholic Church and the sex scandals, the next obvious question would have been why priests in that Church did not have wives- well like I said, the distant bickering, hardly audible from some corner of the house was about Hanna Montana or some Ben -Ten, what a relief.

On our own local TV channels and daily newspapers, the headlines were awash with some Catholic parishioners who were unhappy about Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu's handling of the Satagate scandal over two love children and their petition to the Vatican to have the prelate removed.

For an institution well respected for the years it has spent in Zambia, the investment in social infrastructure and its public policy of helping the poor and vulnerable, it must be excruciating for those die hard Catholics listening to or watching the news as I did were too shocked to discern what has been going on.

The over six decades old sex abuse scandal involving Roman Catholic priests world over has now only boiled over and the lid covering years of filth and dirt in one of the most respected religions, one that has endured centuries of battering has reached critical mass and can no longer be glossed over.

No amount of cover ups or secret pay- offs to victims of sexual abuse going into the millions upon millions of dollars can be ignored let alone continue to be condoned as a matter of official policy of Rome.

Seeing Pope Benedict the XVI in a televised address painfully render his apologies to the families and victims of sexual abuse in Ireland was bad enough to take back the majority of Catholics world-wide to the drawing board and review its stand on celibacy for its priests.

It is not too long ago that former archbishop for Lusaka Emmanuel Milingo was excommunicated from the Church for not just advocating for the Church to review its policy on the issue of the ordination of married Catholic priests but for taking a wife himself.

The maverick former Zambian archbishop who also hit the headlines for his so called un orthodox un Catholic exorcism and healing sessions drawing thousands upon thousands of followers in Rome and the USA brought into sharp scrutiny the Vatican when it banned him claiming he was introducing un-clean, un Christian African ways of prayer.

Former archbishop Milingo's waterloo came after he twice returned to his bride Korean-born Maria Sung whom he had earlier disowned and returned to the Catholic fold but finally left for serious fundamental differences in Church doctrine.

Today the Church must be biting its own feet- What with the latest revelations of the growing number of sexually motivated abuses of which experts have attributed to the strict but often broken oath of celibacy for one to become a priest.

Archbishop Milingo argues that the strict rules of the celibacy of Catholic priests is not supported anywhere in the Bible.

I remember vaguely somewhere in a Bible passage where it teaches that if as Christians we feel that we are not as strong in resolve as Paul was, then we should proceed and marry.

Nowhere does God hold it against anyone for marrying, yes marrying and not sexual abuse of any sort.

It is frightening to see the number or priests that have been arrested for sex abuse cases in churches worldwide

Catholic Church sex abuse cases, series of lawsuits, criminal prosecutions and scandals committed by catholic priests both under diocesan and in orders which care for the sick or teach in learning institutions have been alarming.

The first of these cases have risen to public attention in the last two decades.

Although awareness of the widespread scope of these abuses first received significant attention in Canada, Ireland and the USA, other cases were reported in several other countries.

The scandal, apart from the sexual abuses themselves also evolves around the top hierarchy of the Church for failure by senior bishops and Cardinals to report the incidences to law agencies and instead deciding to protect those who were involved by either transferring them to different postings after allegations had been made or forcing them to sign oaths of secrecy veiling whatever might have gone on.

For instance, in 1995, Hans Hermann Groer cardinal of the Arch diocese of Vienna in Austria stepped down as head o f the Catholic Church following accusations of sexual misconduct.

In 1998, out of shame he left the country but remained a Cardinal.

In the Archdiocese of Antwerp in Belgium, former Catholic priest Bruno Vos of Niruwmuer parish in Kalmthout was officially charged with the rape of a minor by the Belgian judiciary.

There were also allegations of child porn included in the charge.

In Croatia in the Archdiocese of Zagreb, Ivan Cucek was convicted in 2000 for the sexual abuse of 37 girls and was sentenced to three years.

The lists of such barbaric acts perpetuated by these men of God are frightening and it leaves people so hungry for spiritual food confused and really not knowing who to trust.

Here in Africa and Zambia in particular, the incidences of such atrocities are more veiled, maybe because of the existing cultures which regard matters of sexual nature very private and any mention of such regarded as taboo.

That, however, is not to say that we do not have such preying monsters masquerading as prayerful ministers of God, there are so many tales about very prominent and senior members of the Catholic clergy sexually abusing and even siring children with congregants, in some cases children not anywhere else but here in Zambia.

There seems to be some unwritten oath of silence by some Zambians who out of ignorance believe that nobody should dare speak out against these men of "god" for all their transgressions, but times have changed and nobody should use the name of the Church for their illegal, shameful and unquenchable devilish desires especially against innocent children.

There is a long standing story in Ndola about a respectable clergyman from the Catholic Church who has sired several coloured children and using the Church systems has managed hush his victims by offering them education and support.

These women some of whom are ready to come out in the open have indicated that they are trapped because they lack anybody to support them and have only known the church to care for them and their siblings.

Well, to all those who have been abused and have been anguishing over time, this is the time to come out and claim what belongs to you and help put these predators were they belong.

I would personally want to see that all the alter and choir boys who have been molested, all the girls forced to have abortion or have sired children with priests, It does not matter how long ago it happened, must be bold enough to walk to freedom by reporting such incidences to authorities.

You will be adequately compensated for your suffering and nobody can stand in your way.

The Church in Zambia has a very clear mandate and this is not to take advantage of the poverty stricken or those who can ill afford health or school facilities, neither is their mandate to fight government in the name of fighting in justices.

There has to be a clear distinction in what their calling is away from all the politicking and abuse and molestation of children and only the victims can begin to make a difference.

What has started in Europe through the exposure of the wrongs done to millions in the church over the years can not be stopped and sooner or later will happen here.

And maybe the Church should seriously consider taking up Archbishop Milingo's advice!