The ManicaPost
Dominic Satumba
IN some African beliefs, if rain falls during a funeral procession, the deceased will be destined for heaven.
In Christian settings, rain is associated with God’s blessings (Ps. 84:6; 147:8) and favours toward humanity (Hosea 6:3).
Since rain benefits all, it is metaphorically associated with the just king who is a blessing to all, and nurtures life instead of threatening it (2 Sam. 23:4). That same association can be likened to the life and death of the late auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mutare, Right Reverend Patrick Mumbure Mutume. During his Episcopal ordination, there was a heavy downpour on that beautiful Sunday. And as thousands waited for his burial at Triashill Mission last Saturday, there was a heavy downpour.
Bishop Mutume was born on October 13, 1943, ordained to priesthood on September 3, 1972, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Mutare on March 15, 1979 and consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Mutare on June 17, 1979. He received his Heavenly wings on February 8, 2017 after battling kidney failure for more than eight years. He lived on dialysis.
The 15 000 sitting capacity Sakubva Stadium was filled to the brim on his ordination. On his death, thousands stayed awake during the funeral night vigil at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Mutare. The following day, thousands thronged the funeral mass held in his honour at St Dominic’s High School grounds, and thousands waited for his burial at Triashill Mission Cemetery. Not pure coincidence! This all has a meaning for the larger than life character of Bishop Mutume.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Archbishop Marek Zalewski, Archbishop of Harare, Most Rev Robert Ndhlovu, Gweru Diocese Bishop Rt Rev Xavier Munyongani, Bishop Emeritus of Mutare Alexio Muchabaiwa, Bishop Emeritus of Gokwe Angelo Floro, Bishop Elect of Gokwe, Monsignor Rudolf Nyandoro, Bishop Emeritus of Gweru Martin Munyanyi, Vicar General of Masvingo, Diocese Fr Walter Nyatsanza, Vicar General of Harare, Fr Kennedy Muguti, Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Fr Frederick Chiromba, several priests and sisters attended the funeral. Bishops from other churches, including Bishop Trevor Manhanga of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and retired Anglican Church bishop, Bishop Sebastian Bakare, were also present.
Such likeable was the shepherd. His sheep knew him. He literally knew all his sheep and he called them by name. He was the modern day bishop that Pope Francis wants for the church – a bishop who lives for the people, and with the people. A shepherd who smells like his sheep!
Bishop Mutume broke the rule book of a conventional bishop. He was not the strict orthodox or of the straightjacket type. He broke the distance barrier between some pastors and their followers. He was not only a man of the people, but also a voice for the people. Bishop Mutume lived for justice. He lived for fairness. He lived for peace!
He never told his followers to do one thing, and he does another. No. He walked his talk!
He was inspired by Fr Conal Collier.
“Sakubva and Dangamvura owe it to Fr Collier, he single-handedly worked to spread the gospel in these two residential areas. He had a vision for the church, and that caught up with me as well while I was still in primary school,” said Bishop Mutume.
He assumed many leadership roles under the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
At one time he was bishop president of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace; became the bishop president in charge of the Guilds and all the Laity. He is credited with organising the first ever Zimbabwe Council for the Laity All People’s Conference at Borrowdale Race Course in Harare in 2012.
In his homily during the funeral mass at St Dominic’s, Rt Rev Xavier Munyongani described the late bishop as someone who fought for the rights of people since the liberation war. “Sekuru Mutume sacrificed a lot for this country and for this diocese considering that Mutare is a very difficult diocese to lead.
‘‘We have to pay back for Mutume’s sacrifices by being faithful to God. No going back to n’angas and wearing mazango when other people are sacrificing their lives for us,” said Rt Rev Munyongani.
He said Bishop Mutume never grew weary in faith even when he was having dialysis three times a week and encouraged the people to emulate that.
Bishop Mutume did not hesitate to delve into politics, although he denied being a politician. He always encouraged Catholics to join politics.
“Members of the church should join political parties to instil good morals and teachings of the church. It is the only way we can preach peace and the love of good, from within.”
During the liberation war, he would embark on numerous rescue operations in warzones like Avilla and Nyanyadzi, “even almost driving in my sleeping gown to go and evacuate nuns in these missions who were under threat from the soldiers.”
He mediated, together with other church leaders, in the political crisis of Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the disputed June 2008 elections.
Bishop Mutume took a leading role in the formation of the Government of National Unity, and subsequently, the Inclusive Government.
The role he played in the pre and post independence eras of Zimbabwe went unnoticed when four Government ministers — Cde Patrick Chinamasa (Finance), Cde Ignatius Chombo (Home Affairs), Cde Joseph Made (Agriculture) and Cde Mandi Chimene (Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs) attended his funeral mass.
Cde Chimene, wants Bishop Mutume to be accorded provincial hero status. “Manicaland will request, I know it is already taken because the person for administration (Dr Chombo) is here for the late bishop to be accorded hero status. We have requested that he be accorded hero status for the country because he worked for us. It is important that we acknowledge the good work he did for Zimbabwe.” Cde Chimene said the late bishop spoke his mind and in so doing, imparted words of wisdom that were constructive.
He was a hard worker, and believed that physical illness was no stumbling block to the Lord’s work. “It’s not the physical side that matter, but the spiritual, the mind. The mind just organise things so that they happen, that’s all. And the spirit to want to see the church of God moving forward drives me.”
His dream was for the church institution to hand over knowledge to the laity, to the people, not for the clergy and religious having knowledge to themselves. He wanted a self-reliant church. And he dreamt of a church where reciprocity was the order of the day.
“There should be reciprocity between the laity and the priests. Priests giving a satisfactory service and the laity doing the same!
