Telesphore George Mpundu


Telesphore George Mpundu is an excommunicated Zambian Catholic prelate who served as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Lusaka, from 2004 until 28 October 2006. He then succeeded as Archbishop of Lusaka. He resigned on 30 January 2018.

Early life and education

He was born on 21 May 1947 at Kopeka, Mpulungu District, in the Diocese of Mbala, in the Northern Province of Zambia.

Priesthood

He was ordained a priest on 17 December 1972. He served as priest of Mbala until1 7 March 1987.

Episcopal service

Diocese of Mbala

Pope John Paul II appointed him as Bishop of Mbala, on 7 March 1987 and he was installed there on 21 June 1987. He was consecrated as bishop by Bishop Adolf Fürstenberg, Bishop Emeritus of Mbala, assisted by Elias White Mutale, Archbishop of Kasama and Adrian Mung'andu, Archbishop of Lusaka.

Archdiocese of Lusaka

On 1 October 2004 Pope John Paul II again appointed him as Coadjutor Archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia.
On the order of Pope Benedict XVI, Mpundu succeeded as the Archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia, on 28 October 2006, upon the retirement of his predecessor, Archbishop Medardo Joseph Mazombwe. On 30 January 2018 Archbishop Telesphore George Mpundu of Lusaka Archdiocese resigned.
Archbishop Telesphore George Mpundu served for at last two consecutive terms as the president of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Excommunication in 2025

In 2024, he consecrated Fr. Anthony Ward, the founder of the Servants of the Holy Family, as a bishop. This action took place without approval of the Holy See, so Archbishop Mpundu incurred the canonical penalty of excommunication ''latae sententiae.''