By Anold Namanja-ACJ member
National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa has challenged Catholics in the country to spread the word of God stipulating that every one of them is a missionary through baptism.
He made the remarks over the weekend at Fish Eagle Cottage in Salima during the 2017 Association of Catholic Journalists annual general meeting in his presentation titled; Origins, Nature and Mission of the Catholic Church.
Mwakhwawa said every member of the Catholic Church is a missionary without regard to their position as such should take their rightful roles in proclaiming the Gospel of salvation through words and deeds to draw more people closer to God.
The National Director said as Catholic Christians, they were supposed to consider three things when spreading the word of God namely; prayer, meetings such as those held at Small Christian Communities (Mphakati) and should have humility.
“Proclaiming the Good News of Christ is an obligation. Catholic Christians ought to have a kind heart and attitudes and show their Christian life openly to help others understand the Mercy of God,” he added.
Mwakhwawa called on the faithful to contribute generously towards activities of the church with resources and skills for its growth and prosperity.
He observed that the Church was a visible community through its membership and other features, noting that its origins still remain mysterious to date.
“The Catholic Church is sacramental. The church is a sacrament which brings grace. In fact, theology of sacraments explains the nature and origins of the church,” Mwakhwawa pointed out.
He said the Pontifical Mission of Societies exists in the church to promote missionary spirit through prayers, social services and mobilize monetary contributions for the mission of the sect.
Newly elected Association of Catholic Journalists (ACJ) Chairperson Augustine Mulomole thanked the membership for having confidence in the new national executive committee to stir the grouping to greater heights.
He assured that the association made up of professional journalists would stand for the truth and justice without taking partisan interests to reflect values, teachings and principles of the church.
Mulomole appealed for more support from the Episcopal Conference of Malawi in a bid carry out its activities smoothly for the betterment of the church and individual members.