The National Coordinator for the Secular Coordination Committee (CLC), a catholic organization, says no judicial proceedings against Archbishop of Kinshasa Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo will be carried out despite the order by the Court of Cassation.
Cardinal Ambongo who has been critical of the government over the current tumultuous situation that the country faces, was last week cited by Attorney General at the Court of Cassation Firmin Mvonde for spreading falsehoods and inciting members of the Congolese armed forces.
The move supported by Republican President Fèlix Tshisekedi, sparked widespread condemnation from both local and international stakeholders.
However, the CLC have revealed that there will be no investigations carried out against Cardinal Ambongo and no legal procedures have taken place to date in what had seemingly been an attempt by the state to threaten and silence the prelate.
“I note that this letter [from Attorney General Firmin Mvonde] remains a letter. We didn’t go beyond a letter ,” CLC National Coordinator Isidore Ndaywel said.
Ndaywel stressed that the church has been vested with the responsibility to give checks and balances on critical matters of national interest and cannot be silenced.
“The Church is a kind of counter-power, but it is due to the legal institutions of the country. And at this point, the Church remains in its place.”
