Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) - "The main desire of the Catholic religious leaders of Malawi is to carry out the first mission of the Church which is the salvation of all souls". This is what Fr. Stephen Chikhasu, parish priest of Nathenje, Archdiocese of Lilongwe said, on the creation of an association aimed at deepening the faith of all pastoral workers and helping the parish in its pastoral and development work.
The association, called the Catholic Chiefs Organization, was officially launched during the feast of Christ the King. So far it has 111 members.
According to information from Agenzia Fides, Fr. Chijhasu thought about creating this association after observing the gap between traditional leaders and the local Church. Some of the traditional leaders had complained that they were even ridiculed every time they went to meet their followers. "Traditional leaders were on one side and the church on the other. We want to bring them back to their church where they can make a positive contribution", said Fr Chikhasu during the presentation of the Catholic Chiefs Organization.
"Our people considered us evil people who cannot go to church", said village chief Kachule. They thought a traditional leader could not go to church. This mentality must be eliminated. Being a leader does not mean that you are not a Christian.
Christianity came before I became a leader. We thank Father Chikhasu for bringing us back to where we belong", said Kachule. For his part, the parish hopes that the leaders will ensure that Sunday is respected as a day to celebrate God and that "they promote ecumenism so that the different religions coexist peacefully in their areas". In this spirit of communion, says the note from the local bishops, leaders are called to identify relevant development projects for their areas and the parish for the integral development of its people. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 17/12/2021)
