Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi may foolishly be acting as Archbishop of Kinshasa Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo’s campaign manager in the respected Catholic Priest’s candidacy in the papal elections.
Tshisekedi has ordered the Attorney General at the Court of Cassation Firmin Mvonde to institute judicial investigations against Cardinal Ambongo for fake allegations of spreading falsehoods as well as fomenting disobedience among the Congolese armed forces in an attempt to silence the prelate who has been highly critical of the government’s reaction to the ongoing insecurities in the eastern part of the country.
However, Tshisekedi’s hostilities against Cardinal Ambongo may just be working to the 64-year old churchman’s benefit as it is boosting his global image and could potentially turn him into a martyr as well as draw the attention of the international community.
Tshisekedi’s relationships with the church has soured since ascending to power despite having a significant catholic background with his great-uncle having served as a Catholic Bishop in the DR Congo for 28 years.
He has drifted from his Catholic roots and now opts to worship, the rare times he has, in a Pentecostal mega-church called the Centre Missionaire Philadelphie and surrounds himself with flashy living evangelical pastors.
The new hostilities and judicial investigations could well turn out to be a major boost for Cardinal Ambongo who has recently emerged as a hot new “papabile” or candidate for to become pope due to his adroit handling of the African resistance to the “Fiducia Supplicans” which is the hyper-controversial document authorizing blessing of same-sex marriages.
