'Wizard charges against 'forgery' Milingo

by Christopher Howse ARCHBISHOP Emmanuel Milingo, of Lusaka, the faithhealing enthusiast for African liturgy is to return to Zambia next month after a long period of close care in the Vatican.
The Archbishop was called to Rome after doubts about his faith-healing practices, which had brought him thousands of supporters. Vatican officials were also worried about the propriety of some of the African additions which he had brought into the Mass.
While in Rome, he spent several weeks practically incommunicado. The Church in Zambia has been split between his supporters and more traditional Rome-looking ecclesiastics. At one stage, the Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia was stoned by excited supporters of Archbishop Milingo.
But now, according to the National Mirror, the Zambian Catholic newspaper. the Archbishop is preparing to return home. At the same time, Zambian Church officials are denying that denunciations of Archbishop Milingo by Catholic priests led to his "banishment" in Rome.
The acting secretary of the 7.ambian bishops' conference, Fr Richard Cremins, has denied that priests had described the Archbishop as a "witch and wizard".
He also rejected a story published in the Times of Zambia naming two priests, Fr Francis Taylor and Fr Andrew Edela. as the men who had complained of Archbishop Milingo's behaviour to the Nuncio.
Fr Cremins said "We can only conclude that the alleged report is a malicious forgery, composed in order to support the view of a small but vocal group that the Archbishop's call to Rome was the result of a conspiracy against him by ex-patriate missionaries."
The two priests involved deny having sent a report to the Nuncio or anyone else, and are prepared on their return to Zambia to swear affidavits to confirm their denials.
Archbishop Milingo met the Pope on January 1 to discuss matters. Since then he has visited France and West Germany to attend to sick people.
The Zambian government has asked its High Commissioner in Britain to compile a report.
The head of the Passionist Fathers in Rome, Fr Michael Petro Ignatius has said that Archbishop Milingo is now mentally and physically fit.