For the Church to foster healing and give hope, the Local Ordinary of Malawi’s Karonga Diocese said, “We must listen to one another with open hearts and minds, and we must seek to discern the will of God in all that we do.”
As the MCCB president, Bishop Mtumbuka pledged to “do everything possible” to fulfil his “humble role of fostering synodality and unity in the Conference.”
He further pledged to be mindful of “Canon 455(4), which not only guarantees and protects the competence of each Diocesan Bishop but also obliges presidents of Conferences to ensure consensus of all members regarding anything done on behalf of the Conference.”
In his opening address at the five-day Plenary Assembly held at the Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe, Bishop Mtumbuka said that going forward, he desires that MCCB members “revitalize the missionary spirit among all agents of evangelization in our Church in Malawi.”
For too long, the MCCB President said, the Catholic Bishops and the people of God have lamented over poor pastoral work, which he said is manifested in many ways, including “very poor-quality catechism lessons given to catechumens, the youth and children.”
He further listed several indicators of weak pastoral engagement, including the lack of outreach to lapsed Catholics, the infrequent visitation of Catholic families—often limited to only a few households—and a growing number of marital challenges, where couples are left to navigate their difficulties without adequate counselling or spiritual support.
Additionally, Bishop Mtumbuka identified the urgent need for a more authentic and credible witness by agents of evangelization among the several indicators of inadequate pastoral care.
He also noted a troubling lack of concern for those who have not yet encountered Christ—particularly in urban centers and remote regions—and observed that some pastoral agents appear content with offering only the bare minimum in pastoral services.
In the face of such pastoral challenges, Bishop Mtumbuka said, “We as members of the MCCB as chief shepherds of the local Church of Malawi, must, with grace of God, do everything possible to promote a strong awareness among all ordained and consecrated agents of evangelization as well as lay faithful, that missionary activity is a matter for all Christians, for all dioceses and parishes, Church institutions and associations.”
The 67-year-old Local Ordinary of Karonga Diocese, who has been at the helm of the Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination in November 2010, urged MCCB members to use the Plenary Assembly as “a springboard” and be cognizant that the “Catholic Church in Malawi will renew her missionary commitment –both primary and new.”
