BY PRINCE HENDERSON
Right Reverend George Desmond Tambala of Zomba Diocese and Bishop Chairman for the Religious men and women has challenged Nuns from all the congregations in Malawi to adapt to the social, economic and political changes that the world and Malawi in particular is experiencing.
Bishop Tambala was speaking when he officially opened a four-day, 57th plenary session for the Association of Women Religious in Malawi (AWRIM) held in the Capital, Lilongwe.
He said the current society of Malawi is undergoing profound underground changes that religious women need to be aware of and at the same time adapt to.
“These are social changes that are affecting the way we think about God and our moral values.
These Changes are founded on denial of God from public life, stress on personal rights and freedom, overemphasis on pleasure and cult of the body, democracy and loss of a sense of history and the future,” said Tambala.
Bishop Tambala who is also a religious, belonging to the Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCD) said commercialization of politics on the part of politicians and parties is also crucial hence politics should be taken as a positive drive force of change in society.
AWRIM Secretary General Sister Mary Magdalen Ndawala said the plenary which was held under the theme; ‘Impact of the changing world on religious life,’ was crucial because it was attended by 28 Superiors from different congregations of religious women serving the lord in various dioceses under the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM).
“Basically, the objective was to empower the Sisters with what is happening in the world. Superiors as leaders have to know the changes in the world so that they are able to exercise their duties as leaders in the Congregations,” said Sister Ndawala.
She said as Sisters who are found in the social setting of the society, they are equally touched with the economic, social and political changes hence an approach to address them.
“We expect the Superiors to share this with Sisters in their respective congregations. On economic change, we want them to advance resource mobilisation drive and be independent. Again, on social change, let them embrace the modern technologies but that should be done responsibly so as to advance evangelisation. Finally, we are none-partisan but we are mandated to advise politicians where necessary hence our engagement with politics,” she said.
Among the facilitators during the plenary included Fr. Andrew Kaufa, from the Society of Montfort Missionaries (SMM) and Director of Luntha Television and Fr. Emmanuel Chikaya of the Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCD).