CENTRAL AFRICA: Provincial dean declares two Zimbabwe dioceses of Harare and Manicaland vacant
Episcopal News Service. October 19, 2007 [101907-02]
Northern Zambia Bishop Albert Chama, dean of the Anglican Province of Central Africa, declared the Zimabawean dioceses of Harare and Manicaland vacant after receiving letters from the bishops of those dioceses announcing their withdrawal from the province.
In a statement, Chama said that Harare Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and Manicaland Bishop Elson Jakazi and some of their supporters had written to then-Archbishop B. A. Malango in late September to tell him of their decision.
"In our response to these letters we advised them that it was impossible for them to withdraw the Dioceses of Harare and Manicaland from the Church of the Province of Central Africa," Chama said in his statement, "because a diocese in accordance with the Constitution of the Church of the Province of Central Africa forms an integral part of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, and therefore any act purporting to withdraw a diocese is unconstitutional and uncanonical as this would alter the very structure and constitution of the Province."
The province's constitution and canons "stipulate that any alteration of the Province requires the approval of Provincial Synod after the Synod of each Diocese in the Province has also approved," Chama said in his statement.
The process then requires that it be confirmed at Provincial Synod by a two-thirds majority of those present, and the decision "has to be endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury as not affecting the terms of Communion between the Church of this Province, the Church of England and the rest of the Anglican Communion," he said.
Chama said that he had "accepted and acknowledged that Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and Bishop Elson Jakazi by notice of their letters had severed relationship, in their own private capacity, with the Province of Central Africa and were no longer bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, from the dates on when the letters were written."
He then declared the dioceses vacant and said he would appoint vicar generals for the two dioceses "whilst the necessary steps are taken for the holding of an elective assembly to elect the next bishops of the Dioceses of Harare and Manicaland."
The move came after months of disputes in the province during which time Kunonga claimed that he had engineered the break-up of the province because some members, especially bishops, held liberal views on homosexuality.
The English newspaper Church Times reported October 19 that Kunonga had called a special synod for October 20 while provincial lawyers were attempting to secure "the return of assets, including three vehicles, and [Kunonga's] surrender of his authority as signatory to two bank accounts."
Earlier this year, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan William and Malango visited Kunonga in Harare and issued a statement at the end of their meeting, saying in part that they had encouraged Kunonga to develop "an independent voice for the church" in response to the challenges of the "deteriorating economic life of Zimbabwe and issues of human rights and peaceful non-partisan protest."
Kunonga, one of the small number of bishops Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams had not invited to the 2008 Lambeth Conference, has been a supporter of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who has been accused of allowing the country to slide into ruin during his 27-year rule.
The full text of Chama's statement follows:
Statement on behalf of the Bishops of the Province of Central Africa from the Dean of the Province on the withdrawal from the Province of Bishops Kunonga and Jakazi
As Dean of the Province of Central Africa I would like to make the following statement on the withdrawal from the Province of Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and Bishop Elson Jakazi and some of their supporters.
We received letters from Bishop Kunonga and Bishop Jakazi on the 21st September 2007 and 23rd September 2007 respectively addressed to the former Archbishop of the Province, the Most Reverend Dr. B. A. Malango advising him of their formal withdrawal of the Diocese of Harare and Diocese of Manicaland from the Church of the Province of Central Africa.
In our response to these letters we advised them that it was impossible for them to withdraw the Dioceses of Harare and Manicaland from the Church of the Province of Central Africa. Because a diocese in accordance with the Constitution of the Church of the Province of Central Africa forms an integral part of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, and therefore any act purporting to withdraw a diocese is unconstitutional and uncanonical as this would alter the very structure and constitution of the Province.
The Constitution and Canons of the Church of the Province of Central Africa specifically stipulate that any alteration of the Province requires the approval of Provincial Synod after the Synod of each Diocese in the Province has also approved. The process then requires that it be confirmed at Provincial Synod by a two-thirds majority of those present. The final process is that this has to be endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury as not affecting the terms of Communion between the Church of this Province, the Church of England and the rest of the Anglican Communion.
We therefore advised them that the heading of their letters stating the "Formal Withdrawals of the Diocese of Harare and Diocese of Manicaland of the Province of Central Africa" respectively was unacceptable and misleading.
In our position as the Dean of the Province of Central Africa we accepted and acknowledged that Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and Bishop Elson Jakazi by notice of their letters had severed relationship, in their own private capacity, with the Province of Central Africa and were no longer bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, from the dates on when the letters were written.
We have therefore declared that the Dioceses of Harare and Manicaland are with immediate effect vacant. In accordance with Canon 14 (1) we shall be appointing the Vicar Generals for the two vacant Dioceses to hold office whilst the necessary steps are taken for the holding of an elective assembly to elect the next bishops of the Dioceses of Harare and Manicaland.
Please be assured of our prayers for the Dioceses of Harare and Manicaland and may God strengthen you all as you faithfully witness to His love and service.
The Rt. Rev. Albert Chama
Dean of the Province of Central Africa and bishop of Northern Zambia