The Catholic Archdiocese of Lusaka has called its clergy and faithful to a solidarity Mass at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus on Monday morning. Archbishop Alick Banda reports to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) a few hours later on a renewed summons. The Church said it feared for his safety and well-being and urged Catholics to stand with him in prayer.

The Mass begins at 08:00 hours. From the cathedral, the Archbishop is expected to go on to the commission, where he is due at 10:00 hours.

“Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus on Monday 28th September, 2026 at 08:00 hours in solidarity with the Archbishop, before he proceeds to the Drug Enforcement Commission at 10:00 hours,” the Archdiocese said.

The announcement came in a statement dated 25 September and signed by the Archdiocese’s Communications Office, which also published it on the Church’s official Facebook page. The statement calls the DEC call-out a “renewed” summons, which means the commission has called the Archbishop before.

The Church did not say what the commission wants to take up with him, or what happened with the earlier summons. The statement dealt only with the Archbishop himself and with the Church’s resolve to stand around him.

“The Archdiocese of Lusaka expresses its deep concern and unwavering solidarity with our Local Shepherd, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Alick Banda, following renewed summons by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC),” the Church said.

Church leaders built their appeal around one line of Scripture, placed at the head of the statement. They chose Matthew 26:38, the words Christ spoke in the Garden of Gethsemane when he asked his disciples to keep vigil with him: “Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Concern for the Archbishop’s safety runs through the statement. The Church said more than once that it was deeply concerned for his safety and well-being, but it did not say what specific fear lay behind those words.

Even so, the Archdiocese made clear that the Archbishop would honour the summons. It asked the faithful to meet the moment with composure rather than alarm, and tied its call for calm directly to respect for the law.

“We therefore call upon the clergy, religious and lay faithful to remain united in prayer, calm in spirit and steadfast in faith as our Archbishop responds to the summons in accordance with the law,” the statement read.

With that emphasis on the law established, the Church turned to the Archbishop’s standing among his people. It presented him not as a lone figure going before a State agency, but as a pastor whose congregation would walk with him.

“Our Archbishop is not alone. He remains a shepherd surrounded by his flock, and the Church stands firmly with him in prayer, communion and solidarity,” the Archdiocese said.

The Church then cast the moment as a test for the faithful themselves. It told Catholics that fear had no place in their response.

“At this moment, we are called not to fear, but to remain vigilant in prayer and steadfast in our commitment to truth, justice and peace,” the statement said.

The Archdiocese invited Catholics across Lusaka to pray earnestly for the Archbishop’s safety, strength, wisdom and well-being. It also asked them to pray that justice, truth and peace would prevail “throughout this process”.

Everyone able to attend the cathedral service was encouraged to come. The Church asked the faithful to “stand together as one family” on Monday morning and closed its appeal with a four-part charge.

“Let us be united in prayer, steadfast in faith, peaceful in spirit and unwavering in our pursuit of truth,” the Archdiocese said.

The statement’s closing lines placed the matter in God’s hands. Church leaders said they trusted the Lord to carry the Archbishop through the days ahead.

“We place our trust in God, who is our refuge and strength. We entrust our Local Shepherd to God’s providence, confident that the Lord will sustain him and guide him through this moment,” the Church said.

The Archdiocese also entrusted itself, and what it called “the Archbishop’s cause”, to the intercession of Our Lady of Lusaka, the Mother of the Child Jesus.

Catholics will gather at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus from 08:00 hours on Monday. The Archbishop is due at the Drug Enforcement Commission two hours later.

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