• PRESIDENT Lungu(right), in a meeting with the Apostolic Nuncio for Zambia and Malawi, Archbishop Murat (middle) at State house yesterday. Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATE HOUSE

By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has assured the Catholic Church in Zambia of Government’s commitment to continued cooperation and collaboration in all areas of human development.
President Lungu said Government will continue to render support to the Catholic Church in its spiritual and human development efforts.
The Head of State said that, both the Church and Government had the common responsibility to improve the quality of human life as they served the same constituents.
President Lungu acknowledged that the Catholic Church played a significant role in uplifting the living standards of the people through the provision of services in the health and education sectors.
The President stated that the Church was a partner to Government hence the need for it to provide unwavering support whenever Government was faced with challenges.
“But what we see is that when things are bad they sit back without providing support. As Government, we have been charged with the responsibility of the affairs of the State, help us to improve the economy because poverty can destroy the lives of our people. If we are not managing properly feel free to admonish us,” he said.
The Head of State made the remarks when the Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia, Julio Murat paid a courtesy call on him at State House yesterday.
The Apostolic Nuncio was delivering a special message to the President that Pope Francis would send the Secretary for  Relations with States of the Holy See, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher to visit Zambia from November 7, to 10 this year,  as a sign of closeness of Pope Francis to the Catholic Church and to all Zambians and to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Zambia.
The President stated that Government was ready to further consolidate bilateral relations with the Vatican and looked forward to continued mutual cooperation.
President Lungu paid glowing tribute to Pope Francis for his steadfast support to the improvement of humankind, especially for curtailing negative debate on immigration, when he addressed the United States joint session of Congress on the sidelines of the recently held 70th United Nations(UN) General Assembly in New York.
The President said Zambia felt part of the Pope whenever he addressed issues of the oneness of the people.
President Lungu also assured the Apostolic Nuncio that Government was ready to dialogue with the Church over the Statutory Instrument which requires churches to pay tax on imported equipment and was waiting for recommendations from the Church on how best the instrument could be utilised.
The meeting was attended by Special Assistants to the President for Economic Affairs, Hibene Mwinga, Legal Sukwana Lukangaba, Kaizer Zulu for Politics and State House Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Chilubanama.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director for Political affairs Isabel Lemba was also in attendance.
The Apostolic Nuncio was accompanied by First Secretary at the Vatican Embassy in Zambia Reverend Father Marco Formica.