The Bishop Chairman of Pastoral Directorate at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Rt. Rev. Peter Musikuwa Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Chikwawa has said that the Catholic Family Movements are crucial in advancing apostolate both in the Church and in the world and therefore collaborative efforts in promoting the association should be emphasized.
In a bid to intensify the mission of the Movements in Malawi and to enhance one voice, ECM under its Pastoral Directorate has formed the Association for Catholic Family Movements as one of the lay apostolate.
Speaking during the meeting of leaders of the movement, which was held at Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe, Bishop Musikuwa said that the origin of the Catholic Movements could be traced back to the sacraments of baptism and confirmation that Christians receive.
“Lay apostolate is a Christian vocation. As a matter of fact, the Church can never be without the lay apostolate; it is something that derives from the layman’s very calling as a Christian,” the Bishop said adding that although Catholic Family Movements are called by different names by various groups, the objectives are the same and among them of which is supposed to be support for each other to Christianize family life and create communities conducive to Christian family life.
Bishop Musikuwa further said that Catholic Family Movements should strive to promote the human and Christian virtues of the family so that it may become a force that forms people, transmit the faith and contributes to the total development of the community.
“Safeguard the dignity and rights of the family, making sure that these rights of the family are respected and kept perfectly safe when the laws of the country are being made,” he said.
Meanwhile the Acting National Pastoral Director at ECM, Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa, explained that an association helps tackle issues concerning Catholic families successfully and confidently with common approach and present them to the government and the Bishops in a credible manner as one group and not segments of groups.
“An association of Catholic Family Movements will help the Bishops in their dealings with issues concerning Catholic families in Malawi. And it will also help to link together Catholic family movements in Malawi and assist Catholic families accordingly,” Fr. Mwakhwawa said adding that one of the tasks for the Association is to organize family conferences at different levels ranging from National, Diocesan, Deanery, Parish, Outstations and Small Christian Communities.
“For instance, next year there will be a national conference aimed at preparing for the World Meeting of Families in Dublin-Ireland in 2018. So this is an Association that can make proper arrangements and prepare well for this crucial meeting.”
Newly elected couple to chair the association said that one of their major role as an association of Catholic Family Movements will be to encourage young couples to join family movements right from the day they register for their marriages.
“Most young couples are faced with numerous challenges due to lack of guidance and counseling but with family movements association; they will be able to tap knowledge from some of us who have stayed longer in the marriage,” said the Couple Chair Family.
The association will also be there to speak against family related misconceptions which are not in line with the teaching of the Catholic Church like the issue of same sex-marriages, abortion and the use of contraceptives.
Among the participants present included members of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, Christian Family Movement, Focolare Movement, Team of Our Lady and Couple for Christ in Malawi.