. ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁he ▁volunte ered ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁Car mel ite ▁mission ▁in ▁Southern ▁Rh odes ia ▁( now ▁Z imb ab we ) ▁and ▁went ▁with ▁two ▁compan ions ▁to ▁U mt ali ▁( now ▁known ▁as ▁Mut are ), ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁Moz amb ique . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁U mt ali ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁a ▁dioc ese , ▁and ▁Lam ont ▁appointed ▁its ▁first ▁bishop . ▁ ▁P urch ased ▁People ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁Lam ont ▁wrote ▁his ▁first ▁past oral ▁letter ▁as ▁a ▁bishop , ▁entitled ▁P urch ased ▁People . ▁This ▁de alt ▁with ▁matters ▁rel ating ▁to ▁ra cial ▁pre jud ice ▁and ▁seg reg ation , ▁and ▁was ▁highly ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁policies ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁letter ▁contained ▁a ▁strong ▁den unci ation ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁treated ▁members ▁of ▁other ▁races ▁as ▁inferior . ▁He ▁explicitly ▁based ▁this ▁on ▁the ▁Catholic ▁teaching ▁on ▁the ▁dign ity ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁person : ▁" Should ▁not ▁reason ▁and ▁justice ▁and ▁every ▁noble ▁instinct ▁of ▁civil ised ▁man , ▁and ▁particularly ▁of ▁every ▁Christian ▁man , ▁re bel ▁at ▁the ▁thought ▁of ▁des pis ing ▁or ▁brand ing ▁with ▁a ▁st igma ▁of ▁inferior ity , ▁our ▁neighbour ▁with ▁whom ▁we ▁share ▁so ▁much ▁in ▁common ? ". ▁Through out ▁the ▁letter , ▁he ▁repeatedly ▁contrast ed