The apostolic Nuncio to Zambia and Malawi, Archbishop GianFranco Gallone, has bade farewell after four years of service. He has been assigned the same office in Uruguay.
Archbishop Gallone disclosed his posting Saturday after the Eucharistic celebration of investiture of the sacred pallium on Archbishop George Tambala at Maula Cathedral, January 28th, 2023.
“I thought I would stay longer, but life of a priest is like that of Abraham. You leave your people and go to a land you know not about and count on God’s mercy,” said archbishop Gallone.
He expressed gratitude to the people of Malawi for warmly welcoming him in 2019 and shared fond memories of his service to Malawi regretting only that he was not able to visit Chikwawa diocese.
“Your faith is strong and I pray it keeps growing,” he said.
To Archbishop Tambala, Archbishop Gallone stressed on the need to work to grow the local Church “not like politicians who often don’t finish what they start” but as bishops who shall remain such even after their death.
“A bishop will always be a bishop. Even in death. A good bishop shall be a bishop in paradise. A bad bishop will still be a bishop but in hell. Choose which one you want. Life is like a seed, others plant, others water, and yet others will harvest”, said Gallone who before Malawi and Zambia served in Mozambique.
“It’s not enough to smell like the sheep, a shepherd must share the smell of Jesus to the flock. You must share the joys and sorrows of your people but above all show them the light of Jesus. Be the voice of the eternal shepherd,” he said drawing lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas whose feast day is January 28th.
“Each time he encountered something that he failed to understand, Thomas went to the tebernacle, opened it and insert his head in it asking Jesus to help him understand. That should be the prayer of all of us to Jesus”.
Turning to the lay faithful, Gallone urged them to ” struggle to maintain faith and authenticity” noting that some still practiced syncretism (double standard faith.
In his remarks, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe Monsignor Vincent Mwakhwawa described the Apostolic Nuncio as a caring father to the Church of Malawi, “approachable and always listening”.