Brothers and Sisters in the Lord!

It is my singular honour, on behalf of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the entire Catholic Church and on my own behalf, to extend a hearty and joyful welcome to you, Your Excellency, Most Reverend Gianfranco Gallone as Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi. It is a delightful ceremony this morning to think of your mission in Malawi as the representative of the Holy See. Your presence is a clear manifestation of the Holy Father’s closeness and communion with the Catholic Church in Malawi. We are very grateful to the Holy Father for sending you, Your Excellency here in Malawi. Indeed, we thank the Holy Father, for inviting that each one of us is mandated to evangelize as we are celebrating 100 years of our missionary activity in the entire Church. … Today is a day of great joy for the entire Catholic Church in Malawi gathered here at Maula Cathedral to warmly welcome our Apostolic Nuncio. …

I would like therefore, to thank His Grace, Most Reverend Tarcisius Ziyaye for welcoming us into Maula Cathedral. I thank the organizing committee of this function, Members of the Catholic Secretariat, clergy, religious men and women and members of the National and Diocesan laity Councils, men and women from the Archdiocese of Lilongwe and elsewhere in Malawi. … We are brought together in this Cathedral by the common Catholic faith we profess in Jesus Christ and our common commitment to ensure that the Church of Jesus Christ be truly a sign of the unity of humankind bound together through the presence of God’s love among us.

Your Excellency, the Catholic Church in Malawi has contributed much to the growth of the country, not only in integral human and social development namely primary, secondary and tertiary education, healthcare and sustainable livelihoods but also in the moral and spiritual development.

Indeed, the Church has always stood out as a voice for the poor, the helpless and the marginalized in the society, for these are the people closest to the heart of God.

Today, the Church continues in her mission to provide hope to all categories of the new “poor” in our midst who are prone to the threats of secularization, moral relativism, individualism, materialism, divisions along political, tribal and regional lines and the negative impact of the internet and social media. Particularly, at risk, are our youth and families which form the basic building blocks of the society. As stewards of creation, the Church promotes care for the environment, so that generations to come can continue to enjoy the fruits of the earth.

As people called to be “the salt of the earth” and “light of the world”, we undertake the work of the New Evangelization seriously, and do our part as responsible citizens and stewards, contributing wherever we are to build a gracious society and to bring about the joy of the gospel to those we meet daily.

As our country is undergoing political stalemate in the aftermath of the May 21 tripartite elections, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi is very much concerned by the ongoing events especially the criminal acts, hate speeches, destruction of property and business. We therefore, strongly condemn the killing of people, any form of violence and lawlessness. We do not condone any criminal acts and hate speeches that eventually result in loss of life and divisions among people. The  barbaric act of killing the policeman just recently. That act is unacceptable and regrettable in this country. The Catholic Bishops in Malawi, once again, condemn in strongest terms this barbaric act of killing human beings, destroying property. Such things should not happen again in our society or elsewhere in this country.

We pray that God will continue to bless and protect Malawi which we call our only home and grant us leaders that will make it their concern to work for the lasting values, values that are integral to the preservation and advancement of a unified society. Let all Malawians be calm and continue respecting the rule of Law of the Republic of Malawi so that we may experience peace and unity in all parts of the country.

As believers in the love and mercy of God who is our beloved Father, we Catholic Bishops seek God’s intervention on the political crisis in the country, therefore we have organized nationwide prayers on the 19th October 2019 on the theme: “Praying for Peace, Unity and Reconciliation in Malawi.”

…We are doing so on the firm belief that Malawi is our country, our future, our life and our family. We call on all Catholics and indeed all citizens to be united, let us swallow our differences so that genuine peace is enhanced and enjoyed by all in the country.

May the Loving God bless us all and also your ministry, Your Excellency!