Fr. Steve Likhucha
Pope Francis installed Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre Archdiocese together with other 23 new archbishops with the pallium, urging them to place their security in the Lord when faced by the fear of their own weakness. The celebration took place in Vatican City, Italy, during last Sunday’s liturgy of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
The Pontiff called upon the new Archbishops to surrender themselves totally to the Lord and commit their energies to work of building up the Church.
“ Jesus will never abandons you, for he cannot deny himself. He is the source of your confidence and peace which enables you to serve others in charity. Therefore be fully committed and faithful to his mission.” The Pope said.
“Be closer closer to Jesus and closer to the people. Through this gesture of imposing the Pallium on your shoulders you are called to be a good shepherd, like Jesus. Therefore you need to pray so as to learn to be more patient, gentle, loving and merciful.” Added Pope Francis.
Reacting to the event the Archbishop felt being united with the whole Church in the world at the same time being challenged to do more for the Church.
“I felt so happy and it was the most incredible experience in my whole life. It was a moment of profound joy and communion with the Pope and with the universal Church. As an Archbishop, I embark on a new chapter in my life of discipleship and service to the Lord with joy, humility, and the eagerness to depend on God alone…in serving the needs of the priests, consecrated men and women and lay faithful of Blantyre Archdiocese and entire nation of Malawi.” Msusa said.
The Pallium is a woolen band worn around the shoulders, symbolizing both archbishop’s unity with Pontiff and their charge, authority and responsibility to take care for the flock as shepherds of a local church. Pope Francis gave the archbishops the woolen pallium as a sign of our sharing with him authority over the faithful in our archdioceses.The pallium is presented every year to new archbishops or those who have been assigned to a new archdioceses.
The pallium is also the symbol of a special relationship with the Pope and expresses besides the power, that, in communion with the Church of Rome, the metropolitan acquires by right in his own jurisdiction. According to Canon Law (canon 437), a metropolitan must request the pallium within three months of his appointment and may wear it only in the territory of his own diocese and in the other dioceses of his ecclesiastical province.
Three archbishops were unable to attend the ceremony and would receive their palliums at home, making the final count 27 archbishops from 22 countries, including those from AMECEA countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi.