EMMANUEL Milingo, the excommunicated Roman Catholic priest who caused controversy decades ago for his decision to marry, has expressed regret at not having children. In 2005, Milingo, who had become famous for his exorcism ministry, astonished the world when he broke the celibacy law and married Dr Maria Sung, a Korean woman linked to reverend Moon of the Unification Church. He was 76 then. In an exclusive interview at his farm, in Lusaka, where he lives with his wife, Milingo, who is now 90, said: “What I would have done differently is to have children. I think my decision to introduce the married priests came late. I wish I did it earlier.

“I wish I had started the married priest campaigns early. So if I were to go back, I would start early,” he said when asked what he would do differently given a chance. Milingo said he wants to be remembered as a person who brought change to what everyone in the Catholic Church has kept as true and yet no scripture supports it.

“Even in our Catholic doctrine, it’s not written anywhere that priests should not marry,” he said. Milingo said he is proud of the change he brought to the priesthood There is a raging debate within the Catholic Church about whether or not the church should allow married priests to serve in the church. “We now have a lot of married priests, a thing that came after I took the courage to start the change,” said Milingo. He said it is no secret that the “promiscuity among those practising celibacy is high.” “Children fathered by our Catholic priests are everywhere,” he said.

He added: “But I still feel proud of myself because I didn’t pretend like others do.” Milingo, who insists that he is still a Catholic priest, said he still prays the rosary every morning. “I am still Catholic, I do rosary every day. It’s a routine for me. I do it every morning before I get out of bed,” he said. “My rosary sessions take me about two hours 30 minutes. It’s just in me.” “I am a priest forever, once a priest always one,” he quipped. Milingo said a lot of people want him to get back to his healing activities, but said he does not have the energy to do so now. He also said he would want to go back to the Catholic Church but “it’s not that easy”.

“I am not scared of going back because God knows that my decision [to introduce married priests] was perfect,” he said. “They tried all they could but I have peace in my heart because I believe God gifted me differently, with the unique gift of healing. I have been insulted and called names. But I don’t take it to heart because it’s only between me and my God. I know that despite all I have gone through, God loves me because even today at 90, God still answers my prayers,” he said.

And Milingo still reminisces about the village life he left when he was eight years old, and about his mission work in Malawi. “For me to be 90, feels like a dream, I was a village boy, all prone to diseases like bilharzia because we used to swim in dirty water,” he said. He said he values his family in his old age. “Maria and people here keep me busy by involving me in various activities but I don’t go out more often,” he said. He has one wish before dies: “I think I want my family to host a party for me before I die, I want to see all the Chilumbus around me,” he said.