By Demetria Banda
Catholic Members of Parliament in Malawi have been requested to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit while exercising their duties in their respective offices as guided by the Catholic social teaching.
The call was made by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) Parliamentary Liaison Officer Rev Fr. Henry Chinkanda on Wednesday, the 27th of May 2021, during the holy Mass which was celebrated to observe the feast of Pentecost with Members of Parliament (MPs) in Parliament Building.
Fr Chinkanda elaborated on the symbols the Christian Doctrine subscribes to the Holy Spirit such as fire, the Dove and finger among others and further challenged the Parliamentarians to realize that it was by the finger of God that the people voted each one of them into Parliament.
“Jesus says, it is by the finger of God that I carry out good works like casting out the devil. As Members of Parliament, we should always remember that it was by the finger of God that we got elected into this August House. Jesus in John 15:16 says, ‘You did not choose me, rather, it was I that chose you!’ Remember, He chose you for a purpose and it must always be clear that it is God himself who has chosen you as his servants to lead his people in Malawi. May the Holy Spirit assist you to discern that purpose,” said Fr Chinkanda
Fr Chinkanda also cited Psalms 119 vs 105, saying God taught us that the word of God is the lamp of our life and even Politicians Need the Holy Spirit to strengthen their spiritual life so that they can lead Malawians well.
“MPs face a lot of challenges that require critical and reflective thinking to make sound decisions, this is why they need the Holy Spirit to guide them in their leadership to make decisions that will be for good of all citizens in this country. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus’ disciples in form of tongues of fire. Fire energizes and it instils spiritual fervour that came upon the disciples on Pentecost day – we pray that the energizing fire of the Holy Spirit will instil into all of you, our dear Honourable Members, His zeal, passion and the boldness required for the work you were chosen for.
He further said Fire has a transformative power and indeed, Malawi today, more than ever before, needs transformative leadership that can direct the people in the country from the trap of continuous poverty and for this to be accomplished, there is need for harmony and unity of purpose between MPs so that they can serve the people just like how the apostles did on and after Pentecost day.
Speaking on behalf of all Parliamentarians Ms. Mary Livuza Mpanga MP from Phalombe south constituency who is also a coordinator for the Parliament Small Christian Community commended Fr Chinkanda for always organizing Eucharistic celebrations and training sessions saying that such activities bring the MPs closer to God which helps them when leading the Malawians in their respective constituencies.
“We believe in the Holy Trinity as MPs and as Catholic Christians we also believe that the Holy Spirit is very important in our life for He helps us to discern and make right decisions during our discussions in Parliament particularly when it comes to making decisions on bills that are in disagreement with our Christian beliefs and values like the bill on the so called self-abortion. We strive to be MPs who always put God first in everything we do,” said Livuza Mpanga.
Fr. Chinkanda was the main celebrant at an event which was held at Parliament Buildings under the theme “Even Politicians Need the Holy Spirit”. In attendance during the holy mass were parliamentarians from all political parties in parliament and from all parts of Malawi. All mass proceedings were led by the MPs themselves