By Arnold Neliba
LILONGWE,FEBRUARY 1, 2022 (CISA) – The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) is holding its first annual plenary at the Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe to discuss issues affecting the Church, from January 31 to Friday, February 4.
The theme of the plenary is “Protection and Promoting the Deposits of Faith: Building the Catholic Faith through new and primary Evangelization.”
In a statement signed by Very Rev Fr Henry Saindi, the Secretary-General of ECM, the plenary will “review the current practices in the Church’s liturgy; discuss matters pertaining to priestly formation in Spiritual Formation Centres and Major Seminaries; receive and discuss general progress report from the Catholic University of Malawi (CUNIMA), Nanjiri CUNIMA Campus Project in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe and the establishment of the College of Health Sciences in the diocese of Mzuzu.”
The bishops will also receive and discuss status reports from National Church Bodies, organizations and Ecumenical associations; Association of Diocesan Catholic Clergy in Malawi (ADCCOM), Association of Men Religious (AMRIM), Association of Women in Religious Institutes (AWRM), National Laity Council, Catholic Women Organization, Public Affairs Committee (PAC), Christian Health Association (CHAM) and Christian Service Committee (CSC).
Moreover, the prelates will “deliberate on progress and status reports from the Catholic Secretariat’s Pastoral, Social Development, Finance, Investments and Administration Directorates and the Pontifical Mission Societies. Review and approve the roadmap for functional review of the Catholic secretariat and the roadmap for the hosting of the sub-regional conference of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.”
In attendance are member bishops of ECM, the Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi, His Excellency Rev Gianfranco Gallone and Most Rev Ignatius Chama of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kasama and President of Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).
Archbishop Chama “will make a presentation on sustainability of Major Seminaries in Zambia”. According to Fr Saindi, his presence will be “in the spirit of enhancing pastoral collaboration within the sub-regional conference of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe”.
