Global South Anglican

Source: Living Church

7/19/2006

The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for the Bishop of Harare (Zimbabwe) to step down while misconduct charges against him are pending before the church courts of the Province of Central Africa.

The call for the Rt. Rev. Nolbert Kunonga to go marks the most significant intervention by the Most Rev. Rowan Williams in the affairs of an Anglican province outside the Church of England.

A statement released on behalf of Archbishop Williams said: “In the context of a prolonged and political crisis, the Diocese of Harare faces intolerable strain in the form of the very grave and unresolved accusations against Bishop Kunonga. The primary way forward is by dealing with these charges through the church courts in the Anglican province of Central Africa, but this process has been aborted and the matter is unresolved.”

In other jurisdictions, Archbishop Williams said a priest or bishop facing such serious charges would be suspended without prejudice until the case had been closed. “It is therefore very difficult for Bishop Kunonga to be regarded as capable of functioning as a bishop elsewhere in the Communion,” he said. Archbishop Williams also pressed the Primate of Central Africa, the Most Rev. Bernard Malango, and other leadership in the province to bring the case to a conclusion in a way “consistent with justice, transparency and truth, so that the damage to the health and credibility of the church can be addressed.”

Bishop Kunonga’s ecclesiastical trial on charges ranging from heresy and fraud to incitement to murder broke up last year after the judge hearing the case quit, citing the lack of witnesses able to substantiate the charges. The witnesses, fearful for their lives, declined to return to Harare from exile to testify and the judge refused to allow the witnesses to testify via video link.

The case of Bishop Kunonga is expected to be taken up by the next meeting of the Central African House of Bishops later this month.

(The Rev.) George Conger