President Michael Sata yesterday led hundreds of mourners in paying their last respects to Zambia’s first indigenous Roman Catholic Cardinal Merdado Mazombwe at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka.
The 82-year old Cardinal died on Thursday after a battle with cancer.
Sata, who was accompanied by ministers of Commerce Emmanuel Chenda and John Phiri for Education, and several other senior Government officials, arrived at the Cathedral around 17: 30 hours.
After greeting Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu together with priests, nuns and other Catholic faithful who had gathered outside the church to welcome him, Mr Sata proceeded to view the body.
He later signed the book of condolences where he wished Cardinal Mazombwe a peaceful rest.
“We mourn Cardinal Merdado. May his soul rest in peace,” Mr Sata said in his message of condolences.
Dr Phiri and Mr Chenda also signed the book of condolences.
Several other mourners including Kabwata Member of Parliament Given Lubinda, Chieftainess
Nkomeshya, former Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, and Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor Operations Bwalya Ng’andu were among the people at the cathedral.
The body viewing continued until the early hours of today.
Cardinal Mazombwe’s body arrived at Lusaka City Airport around 12:00 hours from Chipata, Eastern Province where it had been flown on Sunday to enable people in the province to pay their last respects.
Cardinal Mazombwe will be buried today within the Cathedral of Child Jesus next to first Archbishop of Lusaka, Cardinal Adam Kozowick and Most Reverend Adrian Mung’andu, who died in 2007.
A requiem mass would be held outside the church as more than 5,000 people are expected to be in attendance. The Cathedral of the Child Jesus has a capacity of about 2,000.
Earlier, hundreds of Christians from Chipata Catholic Diocese yesterday bade farewell to the Cardinal Mazombwe.
Scores of Christians paid their last respects to the late Cardinal starting on Sunday until yesterday morning at St Anne’s Catholic Cathedral Parish in Chipata District where the body lay in state.
There was a traffic jam in Chipata town as the casket was being taken to Chipata Airport yesterday.
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