LILONGWE FEBRUARY 17, 2017 (CISA) – Bishop George Desmond Tambala of the Catholic Diocese of Zomba has challenged women religious to adapt to the social, economic and political changes the world is experiencing.
The Bishop said Malawi and the world at large are undergoing profile changes that religious women need to be aware of and adapt to in order to implement their duties effectively.
“These social changes are affecting the way we think about God and moral values. They are founded on the denial of God from public life, stress on personal rights and freedom, over-emphasis on pleasure and the cult of the body, democracy and loss of sense of history and the future,” he said.
He added that commercialization of politics on the part of politicians, parties are crucial matters, and should be a positive driving force for change in the society.
The Bishop was speaking during the official opening of the 57th Plenary Session of the Association of Women Religious (AWRIM) in Malawi taking place in the capital, Lilongwe on February 14.
The plenary themed “Impact of the changing world on religious life” is a four-day event. The Bishop is the Chairperson for Religious men and women in Malawi.
On her part, AWRIM Secretary General Sr Mary Magdalene Ndawala said that Sisters are in the social setting of society. She noted that they equally face the economic, social and political changes happening hence the need to adapt technology to advance evangelization.
“On economic change, we want them to advance resource mobilisation drive and be independent. On social change, let them embrace the modern technology but that should be done responsibly so as to advance evangelization. Finally, we are non-partisan, but we are mandated to advise politicians where necessary hence our engagement with politics,” said Sr Ndawala.
She added that the objective of the meet is to empower the Sisters with what is happening in the world to be able to exercise their duties as leaders in the congregation.
Superiors numbering 28 attended the plenary from different congregations of religious women serving the Lord in various dioceses of Malawi.
