Archbishop Pius Ncube, who last year resigned as head of the diocese of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, has admitted to having had a liaison with a married woman. This, and his apology for it, has cleared up a distracting confusion.
We now know the fact of the matter, and we must receive the archbishop’s repentance. In as far as it is our place to forgive him, we must do so. The air is cleared and the matter is resolved, as far as the public is concerned (there remains the issue of a courtcase brought against the archbishop in relation to the affair).
Whatever human frailties Archbishop Ncube exhibited (and clerics are not immune to weakness) do not detract from the validity of his ministry in the justice and peace apostolate.
Indeed, his courage in articulating the frustrations and hopes of the suffering voiceless in his country outweighs his indiscretion in the private sphere.
President Robert Mugabe may think that he has licked the man he so plainly despises. Our hope is that, after a time of discernment and emotional recovery, Archbishop Ncube may resume his prophetic witness in the struggle for justice and peace in his country.
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