By Stella Zulu
The Catholic community of Members of Parliament in Malawi was on Thursday encouraged to take part in politics as a way of living the virtue of charity by serving others and as a vocation.
Fr. Henry Chinkanda; the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Officer (CPLO) for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), made the call when he celebrated Mass for the opening of the 47th Parliamentary sessions for this year in the parliament building with Catholic Parliamentarians and other people of good will.
Celebrated under the theme: A Good Christian Should Meddle Himself/ Herself in Politics, Fr. Chinkanda quoted His Holiness Pope Francis who once said: “Politics according to the Social Doctrine of the church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good. It is therefore necessary that Catholic Christians should participate in political leadership.”
Although it is widely said and believed that politics is a dirty game, and therefore most Christians refrain from it, it is important that Catholics should learn from the Saints; who served God through their generous commitment to politics and government.
Citing the example of Saint Thomas More, who was proclaimed the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians, gave witness by his Martyrdom to the dignity of the human conscience.
“Through his life and Death, he taught that Man cannot be separated from God, nor Politics from morality,” said Fr. Chinkanda.
Therefore, as many Catholics and Christians refrain from politics, materialistic governance of the country over the welfare of the general masses emerges. As a country, we cannot witness good governance when the nation’s moral foundations are gone.
“It is therefore the duty of a good Catholic Christian and believing politicians to instill into the governance system the moral compass which can be hinged only through our faith in God,”he said.
The mass was celebrated as one of the activities of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office Activities to mark the opening of this Year’s Parliamentary Sessions. The readings on this Holy celebration was taken from the books of 1 Kings 3:4 to 10 and the Gospel was taken from Luke 7: 1 to 6.