Claim of support from “150,000 married priests”
The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation reports:
Archbishop Milingo said the third Vatican Council will be launched in South Korea before the end of this month.
…The Archbishop, 78, leads 150,000 married priests across the world.
Of course, the location will be South Korea because Milingo is now completely Rev Moon’s creature, and Milingo’s breakaway church is Moon’s means to gain influence in Africa. As I noted in December, Milingo’s new church was established at a special ceremony in a “Peace Embassy” owned by the Universal Peace Federation – a choice of venue which suggests that the UPF’s declared aim of bringing people and faiths together may not be quite all that it seems.
Milingo performed his first mass since his excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church just a few days ago. The Times of Zambia reported his justification:
He said there were few priests hence the need for those who had been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church to come forward and serve the masses.
He said when a priest was ordained; he could never lose the powers just as was the case with a person who had been baptised.
…”We are coming back, Saint Peter was married, all of them were except John the evangelist. We are not a sect but just reminding you of your duties. You can’t just sit down. The priests should not fear excommunication. It does not exist. You are priests forever.”
However, the Catholic News Service claims that Milingo has lost his popularity:
“As archbishop (of Lusaka) he could fill a football stadium, but now he is easily able to use the conference room of the motel he is staying in to hold his healing ceremonies. That tells the story,” Father Joe Komakoma, general secretary of the Zambia Episcopal Conference, said in a June 3 telephone interview with Catholic News Service from the Zambian capital, Lusaka.
While “the media is still fascinated by him,” Archbishop Milingo “is largely ignored by Zambian Catholics now that he is no longer a member of the church,” Father Komakoma said.
…Father Komakoma said there is no evidence to back Archbishop Milingo’s claims that up to 100 former priests in Zambia have joined his movement.
“You would think this visit would bring them out but it hasn’t happened,” the priest said, noting that he “has spoken to at least 10 ex-priests who want nothing to do with” Archbishop Milingo.
So much for that “150,000”, then…
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[…] Evangelist Backs Milingo Posted on June 13, 2008 by Richard Bartholomew A few days ago I blogged on ex-Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo’s first public mass since he was excommunicated from the Roman […]