The Diocese of Mutare & The Carmelites in Zimbabwe - the Irish ...

founded a diocesan congregation of sisters, the Handmaids of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He
encouraged African vocations taking great delight in ordaining priests for his own diocese.
Within two years of becoming bishop, Donal Lamont wrote his first pastoral letter, “A
Purchased People.” It would become a classic statement on racial injustice and human rights,
translated into more than a dozen languages. It was followed by several letters of denunciation
and statements opposing the colonial oppression of native Rhodesians.
In 1962 he attended the Second Vatican Council and spoke at several of its sessions. His
most important intervention was a devastating critique of a draft text on the missions. Instead
of a full document or decree, it was proposed to have thirteen propositions on the missions.
The missionary bishops were disturbed, especially as Pope Paul VI had stated himself as
reasonably satisfied with the propositions. In his speech Bishop Lamont spoke with irony and
barely controlled anger: the missionary bishops had come hoping for an inspiring text to
enkindle missionary zeal; they were instead offered thirteen dry bones (an allusion to Ezekiel
36). They came to Rome looking for Pope John XXIII's Pentecostal fire and were being given a
penny candle; the missionary bishops asked for modern weapons to conquer the world for
Christ and they were being presented with bows and arrows. Unusually at the Council, the
speech was greeted with sustained applause by the bishops. The thirteen propositions were
eventually replaced by a fine decree on the mission, Ad gentes.
At the Council he was elected by the bishops to the newly formed Secretariat for
Christian Unity. He served on this until 1975. As an ecumenist he was doctrinally cautious
and watchful, but active and enthusiastic about the crucial ecumenical task of personal
relationships. He was friendly with the Methodist Bishop Muzorewa and with the Church of
Christ pastor, Garfield Todd who was Rhodesian prime minister until 1965. On his return to
Ireland he pursued ecumenical contacts especially in the North of Ireland.
Bishop Lamont attended three synods of bishops. In Rhodesia, as it still was, he became
more vocal in his denunciation of racism and of the white minority government of Ian Smith.
Civil war broke out in 1972. He was arrested under the Law and Order Maintenance Act and
charged with permitting some of the sisters under his jurisdiction to give medical aid to what
the Smith government called “terrorist guerrillas” and the people called “freedom fighters.” He
also advised the sisters not to report such assistance to the authorities. In a much publicized
trial he defended the morality of giving medical assistance to people in need and his refusal to
countenance informing by his flock. He was sentenced to ten years hard labour, later reduced
to deportation and deprivation of his Rhodesian citizenship.
Whereas many white supporters of the Smith regime regarded him as a communist, his
stand was warmly appreciated by other native Rhodesians and by people abroad. The Kenyan
government issued a stamp in 1979 in recognition of his service to Africa. Honorary doctorates
from several American universities followed and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize. It is
too early for a definitive judgement, but when the political, social and ecclesiastical histories of
Sub-Saharan Africa are written his role will certainly be judged to have been very significant.
After the civil war he returned to Zimbabwe for a few years before handing over to a native
bishop. His stand on race was to prove very important for the Church in the whole of the
country and it was recognised as a friend by the new government under President Mugabe,
who several times publicly acknowledged what the Church and Irish Carmelites had done for
his people.
On his return home he lectured extensively and like many bishops found great joy in
conferring confirmation. It is nice to know that there is at least one perk going with the office
of bishop. His years in Africa and his delight in nieces, nephews, and later grand nieces and
grandnephews gave him an ease with children, so that children and he could really enjoy the
confirmation day. He took immense interest his own family and was immensely proud of their
many achievements.
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