LILONGWE (MALAWI)
ACI Africa - Association for Catholic Information in Africa [Nouaceur, Morocco]
February 5, 2023
By Silas Isenjia
The President of Malawi has lauded “the enormous socioeconomic impact” of the initiatives that the Catholic Church has undertaken in the Southeastern African nation.
In his message following a meeting with the Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi and Zambia, Archbishop Gianfranco Gallone, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera said that his government will continue to collaborate with the Church to improve livelihoods.
“I have restated my administration’s satisfaction with the enormous socioeconomic impact the Roman Catholic Church has had in this country for decades through a number of interventions in various key sectors of human development,” President Chakwera says in a Wednesday, February 1 Facebook message.
The Malawian President disclosed the purpose of the meeting, saying, “The main thrust of our discussion was on consolidating the cordial working partnership between the government of Malawi and the Roman Catholic Church.”
To enhance the partnership, the President who has been at the helm of the country since June 2020 said that Archbishop Gallone has pledged to collaborate with the government to enhance the livelihood of Malawians.
“His Excellency Gallone has, on behalf of the Church, pledged to continue collaborating with my government and the people of Malawi in realizing improved livelihoods at household, community, and national levels,” said President Chakwera.
Meanwhile, members of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) have launched the Child and Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding Policy.
In his message shared with ACI Africa Friday, February 3, the president of ECM, Archbishop George Desmond Tambala said that the initiative that seeks to protect minors and vulnerable adults in the country is part of the integral mission of the Catholic Church.
Besides being the mission of the Church, Archbishop Tambala said that the initiative indicates the commitment of Catholic Bishops to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse.
The Local Ordinary of Lilongwe Archdiocese cautioned those who promote abuse against children and adults, saying that the “Church will not protect anyone involved in any sort of abuse of Children and vulnerable adults.”
Archbishop Tambala said that if such vices happen, “reporting procedures have been properly indicated in the policy in order to deal” with the perpetrators accordingly.
“The policy is a guiding tool for the Church on safeguarding issues and all churches and Catholic institutions like schools, hospitals, and organizations should use it to keep children and vulnerable adults safe,” Archbishop Tambala said.
Malawi has been in the limelight following cases of abuse involving vulnerable people including the elderly and Albinos.
In their statement in December last year, officials of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace Commission (CCJP) in the country condemned the renewed violence against people living with albinism and elderly persons.
“The human rights violations against persons with albinism in the country are a well-documented phenomenon since Malawi started officially recording cases of attacks, abductions, and killings of this vulnerable group around 2013/2014,” they said.
The officials of the entity of ECM advocated for “well-thought strategic interventions in spheres of security, protection, and access to justice”, which they said should be “properly and adequately devised and financed” to provide a lasting solution to the problem.
Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.