Makalani said the two were allegedly spotted as leaders of a group that shouted insults at Mwenda, calling him "a foreigner" and threw stones as the officiating clergy entered the church for the ceremony which coincided with Palm Sunday.

"Those people who were against the ordination of Mwenda started throwing stones while the ceremony was in process and when we were alerted we rushed to the scene where we arrested the two," said Makalani.

He continued: "We managed to calm down the people and up to today there hasn't been any other violence."

Mwenda's choice as an interim Bishop for two years has raised some misunderstandings in the Anglican Church with a section of the laity and clergy still opting for the Rev. Paul Henderson from Britain who was rejected by the Church's Court of Confirmation on grounds that his name is associated with gay activities. The Court of Confirmation described Henderson as "a man of unsound faith" for his involvement as chairman of Modern Church People's Union, a liberal organisation of the Church of England which advocates for homosexuality and lesbianism.

According to a source, Mwenda who arrived in Lilongwe on Friday, found his house at Area 47 allegedly sealed by supporters of Henderson, forcing him to spend a night at a hotel. He only managed to go to the bishop's premises under police escort.

The enthronement was shunned by the Archbishop of Central Africa Bernard Malango who assigned Vicar-General Frank Dzamtenge to preside over the ceremony on his behalf.

Malango's provincial secretary Dickson Pembamoyo, however, said there was nothing wrong with the archbishop's absence because normally he is supposed to preside over consecration of bishops and not enthronement.

Pembamoyo also said he was not aware of the violence that took place in Nkhotakota since he was not there, and had no information from the vicar-general. But he added it was not strange that some Christians were unhappy with Mwenda.

"There has never been a time in the history of the church when a new bishop is fully accepted," said Pembamoyo. "There has never been bloodshed. As a retired bishop Mwenda do not see these things as new."

He said it is up to the new bishop to work towards reconciliation in accordance with the Holy Week in which Christians remember Jesus' suffering.

Mwenda resumed his work upon enthronement and has already appointed the Reverend Denis Maxwel Kayamba as Dean of the Cathedral and a retired Canon Rodney Hunter as Assistant Priest of the Cathedral.

http://www.nationmalawi.com/articles.asp?articleID=16152

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