KAMPALA JULY 30, 2019 (CISA) – “The protection of minors is an integral part of the Gospel message hence there is need to create a safe environment for them, giving priority to their interests,” Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantayre, Malawi has said.
The archbishop decried child trafficking, child labour, and the use of child soldiers in many parts of the world, despite laws against them. He was addressing African bishops at the recently concluded plenary assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) in Uganda.
Archbishop Msusa, who is the Vice Chairman of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), asked African bishops to help abolish causes of child trafficking, child labour, and children soldiers to ensure that children are well protected in all aspects.
“The Church in Africa is a family that includes father, mother and children. However, in some contexts, children are subjected to great suffering,” he said.
“It is a challenge that we have accepted and promised that we are going to do our best as a Church in Africa to ensure that the children are well protected in all aspects,” he stressed, adding that, “…the Gospel recommends us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves, and children are equally our neighbours. We are obliged to love them and to defend them against any possible exploitation.”
