News / National
Mugabe and wife return home from Rome
21 Oct 2014 at 14:08hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe and the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe, have returned home from Rome, Italy, where they attended the beatification mass of Pope Paul VI.
Mugabe, a devout Catholic and the First Lady joined other political and religious leaders and more than 70 thousand Catholics from around the world for a double mass that was presided over by Pope Francis at the Vatican city.
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI also graced the beatification mass.
The double mass was held at the end of an extraordinary synod of bishops from around the world who discussed the issue of adopting a softer stance towards gays and whether to give Holy Communion to divorced and remarried couples.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, President Mugabe, whose stance on homosexuality is well documented, saluted the bishops for resisting to bow to pressure.
According to the Roman Catholic religion, at least one miracle must be attributed to the intercession of a candidate to be considered for sainthood, and Pope Paul VI satisfied that requirement, hence the beatification, alluded Mugabe.
Beatification is the third of four steps in the process by which someone officially becomes a saint according to the Catholics.
Now the church will wait for a separate miracle to be verified in order for Pope Paul VI to be canonised and declared a saint.
Meanwhile, scores of Zanu PF supporters who had turned up at the Harare International Airport to welcome Mugabe back home were not able to do so after they failed to gain access into the tarmac area, where they normally assemble to welcome him.
President Mugabe was welcomed at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Joice Mujuru, the Senior Minister of State, Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo and the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo.
The Minister of State for Harare province, Miriam Chikukwa, the Chief Secretary to the President, Dr Misheck Sibanda, politburo members, the Zanu PF Harare leadership, service chiefs and other senior government officials were also there to receive him.
Mugabe, a devout Catholic and the First Lady joined other political and religious leaders and more than 70 thousand Catholics from around the world for a double mass that was presided over by Pope Francis at the Vatican city.
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI also graced the beatification mass.
The double mass was held at the end of an extraordinary synod of bishops from around the world who discussed the issue of adopting a softer stance towards gays and whether to give Holy Communion to divorced and remarried couples.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, President Mugabe, whose stance on homosexuality is well documented, saluted the bishops for resisting to bow to pressure.
Beatification is the third of four steps in the process by which someone officially becomes a saint according to the Catholics.
Now the church will wait for a separate miracle to be verified in order for Pope Paul VI to be canonised and declared a saint.
Meanwhile, scores of Zanu PF supporters who had turned up at the Harare International Airport to welcome Mugabe back home were not able to do so after they failed to gain access into the tarmac area, where they normally assemble to welcome him.
President Mugabe was welcomed at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Joice Mujuru, the Senior Minister of State, Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo and the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo.
The Minister of State for Harare province, Miriam Chikukwa, the Chief Secretary to the President, Dr Misheck Sibanda, politburo members, the Zanu PF Harare leadership, service chiefs and other senior government officials were also there to receive him.
Source - zbc
