Catholic Bishops in Malawi Congratulates President-elect, Call for Spiritual Solidarity with Newly Elected Leaders

Blantyre, 26 September, 2025 / 12:28 AM

Members of the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) have congratulated the Southern African nation’s President-elect following the country's September 16 general elections.

In their Thursday, September 25 message, the Catholic Bishops also hail the outgoing president for accepting the outcome of the presidential poll, which attracted 17 candidates.

“On behalf of the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB), and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to convey our heartfelt congratulations to the President-elect of the Republic of Malawi, Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika,” the statement that the MCCB President, Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka, signed reads in part.

They commend the outgoing President of Malawi, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, for “graciously conceding defeat” and for giving priority to the interests of the nation.

“This noble gesture has once again reaffirmed Malawi's enduring democratic character,” the MCCB members say.

They add, “As Christians and as Malawians, we have the duty to treat one another with charity, respect, and civility, even when we may differ on matters of public policy.”

The Bishops recognize the contribution of both national and local leaders who made themselves available for public service during the elections, and urge the nation to transition from the campaign season to service delivery.

“Now, as a nation, we move from campaigning to governing, and we rejoice in our ability to transition peacefully from one government to the next,” the Church leaders say.

In their statement, the Catholic Bishops of Malawi emphasize that neither the Catholic Church nor the MCCB is aligned with any political party.

"The Church's teachings remain unchanged. As Catholic Bishops, we look forward to working with the elected leadership to advance the common good," they say.

The MCCB members call for spiritual solidarity with the President-elect and “all leaders in public life that they may rise to meet the responsibilities entrusted to them as servants of the nation.”

“Let us ask the intercessions of our Blessed Mother, Mary, the Patroness of our nation, that she guides us to uphold the common good of all and promote the dignity of the human person, especially the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn, the poor, the stranger, the elderly, and the infirm,” the Malawi Catholic Bishops implore in their September 25 statement.

According to a BBC report, the President-elect secured victory in the September 16 poll in what is viewed as “a major comeback” for the 85-year-old Malawian politician, who previously served as the country’s president from May 2014 to June 2020.

The President-elect garnered 57 percent of the votes cast compared to his rival, the incumbent President Chakwera, who managed to get 33 percent of the votes.

Some 7.2 million eligible voters were expected to take part in the September 16 polls to elect their president, Members of Parliament (MPs), and local councillors across 35 local governments.