Sandra Kunda
 |
| Archbishop Benjamin Phiri |
“Instead, Christians
should remain humble, recognizing that it is by God's grace that they are
called to be available for service to His people,” said Archbishop Phiri during
his homily.
Emphasizing
submissiveness, Archbishop Phiri urged Christians
to be God-fearing whenever they are called to serve, further challenging them
to use their talents to serve God wholeheartedly so that their goodness can be
recognized.
Archbishop Phiri
encouraged Christians to reflect on how well they are serving God and avoid
prioritizing material things, which will be left behind when one dies.
Encouraging Christians
on the importance of humility, Archbishop Phiri called on them to avoid
fighting with fellow Christians when given a position in the church to achieve
greatness. “A title does not guarantee closeness to God; therefore, let us be
people of justice who wish well for each other and the larger community because
that is where God resides,” the metropolitan bishop stated.
Archbishop Phiri also
thanked and recognized the efforts and selflessness exhibited by the bishops
from the two suffragan dioceses of the new ecclesiastical province in the
journey toward the elevation of Ndola to the status of Archdiocese.
“The Bishops knew they
were not the ones who shall put on the Pallium, but they offered support
selflessly,” Archbishop Phiri shared.
The Apostolic Nuncio noted
that the pallium invested on Archbishop Phiri today will, among other things,
remind him of Jesus' reinstatement of St. Peter as the leader of the Church.
“May Jesus encourage
you as a bishop so that you may lead everyone to Christ with love,” Archbishop
Perici said. The Apostolic Nuncio further noted the significance of the pallium
and the responsibilities it entails.
Speaking at the same
event, the Archbishop of Kasama, His Grace Ignatius Chama, who is also the
president of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), said the
elevation of Ndola Diocese to Archdiocese is a sign that the church is growing.
However, growth comes with a huge responsibility. Therefore, it calls for
support from everyone in the ecclesiastical province.
Archbishop Chama said
that, as this is an ecclesiastical province with two suffragan dioceses,
Archbishop Phiri will not run out of wisdom.
His Grace has since
expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for this elevation.
The Archbishop of
Lilongwe Most Rev. George Tambala who graced the occasion, congratulated
Archbishop Phiri on his historic achievement of becoming the first Archbishop
of the new Archdiocese of Ndola.
Meanwhile, Archbishop
Phiri’s family representative, former Chief Justice Ernest Sakala,
congratulated His Grace on becoming the first archbishop of Ndola and called on
the Catholics and the clergy to be supportive and avoid unnecessary Gossip.
ENDS…