By Rev. Fr. Steve Likhutcha.
Diocesan Catholic Priests in Malawi are holding a meeting at Kachebere Major Seminary in Mchinji where Association of Diocesan Catholic Clergy of Malawi (ADCCOM) Executive outlined several issues to be discussed and concluded within the week during the 23rd Plenary Session.
The Bishop Chair for ADCCOM, Archbishop Thomas Msusa, in his official ceremony on Tuesday morning called upon all the Priests in the country to be serious and committed agents of new evangelization through true conversion.
“ We can only become meaningful in the society as Agents of new evangelization if we develop our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Lord.” Msusa said.
“…With the Risen Lord, who is our Model, we should not be afraid of anything else but we should go out and preach the Gospel to everybody so that people’s lives should be renewed in Christ.” Added Msusa.
Msusa also thanked all the members of ADCCOM for the commitment they have towards pastoral assignments despite that there is little support from the Bishops to them.
In line with the forth coming tripartite elections the Archbishop urged the Priests to guide the people properly by not telling them who to vote for but outlining to them the kind of leader Malawi needs; one who is transformational and visionary, one who will put the nation at heart and respects cultural and gospel values.
He asked the priests to associate always with the poor and not to be taken up with the gifts especially money from politicians in order to be biased in the sermons.
In his address the Archbishop of Lilongwe Archdiocese, Tarcisius Ziyaye, asked the participants to take the session seriously since the issues to be discussed are very relevant to the lives of priests. He reminded the priests that the discussion during the sessions should help them to prepare well for the forth coming AMECEA plenary session due to take place in Malawi needs later in July this year.
The Vice Chair for ADCCOM, Rev. Fr. Clemence Pindulani, called upon the priests to continue to be the salt and light of the world. He asked them to collaborate well with the Bishops in their respective dioceses so that the work of evangelization should be easier for everybody.
Pindulani challenged them to take stock of what they have been contributing to the nation of Malawi in the past 50 years and asked them to contribute more in the next 50 years of Malawi’s independence. The Chair also said that apart from this year’s theme; Agents of New Evangelisation through True Conversion, priests will discuss issues of Self Reliance, Diocesan Spirituality, Child Protection Policy, General assessment of the political outlook in Malawi and Stewardship in the Church among others.
ADCCOM holds plenary sessions once in two years and mostly it happens during the Easter break. Currently the Metropolitan of Blantyre, comprising of four sufrigans (Chikwawa, Blantyre, Mangochi and Zomba Dioceses), is the governing body of ADCCOM but after the session the Metropolitan of Lilongwe (composed of Dedza, Karonga, Lilongwe and Mzuzu Dioceses) will take over the leadership mantle for the next two years.