We want to put you in touch with the Church, whether you are a Catholic or just an enquirer. You may know your own parish or the Catholic school your child is attending. You may get fragmented bits of information about the Church from secular media. What you need is a full picture, an inside view, an authentic voice. This we wish to give you.

Communication through the media is much hampered in Zimbabwe. There are few church publications. This website tries to put you in touch with the Church electronically. Print interesting material out, put it on your parish notice board, share it with your friends.

This website is an initiative of JESUIT COMMUNICATIONS. It is not an initiative of the Church as such. It does not speak for the Bishops. But Jesuits are part of the Church and loyal to it. Within the Church there are different gifts and charism, contributing to the life of the Church in their various ways. This website is our Jesuit contribution.

By Francisca Mandeya

After mass on Sunday there is a rush to the car park. Business is brisk as all sorts of foodstuffs and wares are sold from car boots, mouthwatering bundles of green vegetables, peanut butter, chickens, potatoes, sweet potatoes and so on. The church in this case provides a ready market for the products. In this era of economic hardships, some seize the opportunity to earn some income.

People talk about ‘going to church is good’ when people come to bury a colleague in their numbers and donations for food and transport are made. The Church is used as a place that facilitates the forming of groups which enable people to give each other decent Christian burials. While these groups are for spiritual growth the possibility of some finding in it a good burial society is there.

The Church is also a social club for some people. They get to mingle with others. Boys and girls may use it as a safe place to find decent
partners when they start thinking of settling down.

DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING

At this time of the year the Church thinks of, and prays for, the dead. Every year the line of brothers and sisters, friends and companions that have crossed over to the living dead grows longer.
Remembering those taken from us is not a morbid concern with death. It is life asserting itself over death. It is life denying death the last word. People who have surrendered to death do not wish the dead to be remembered. People who kill and murder since they think that the death of their enemies will be their life do not wish the dead to be remembered. They don’t want them to rise to life again.
They want them dead. Once and for all.

Pre-conditions for Democracy

 When people think of democracy they think of selection of candidates, voters’ rolls, elections and polling stations, balloting and vote counting. They think of parliaments and parliamentarians and majority votes. They think of “putting democratic procedures in place” after which everything is functioning automatically.