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Archbishop of Lilongwe in Malawi Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Zomba Diocese

Archbishop George Desmond Tambala of Malawi's Lilongwe Archdiocese of Lilongwe, appointed Apostolic administrator of Zomba Diocese. Credit: Courtesy Photo

Pope Francis has appointed the newly installed Archbishop of Malawi’s Lilongwe Archdiocese to temporarily take care of the country’s Zomba Diocese until a substantive Local Ordinary is appointed and takes “canonical possession of the Diocese.”

In a Monday, November 29 report that made reference to the Papal appointment, the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) said, “The congregation for Evangelization of Peoples has appointed his grace the most Reverend George Desmond Tambala, Archbishop of Lilongwe as Apostolic administrator... of the Diocese of Zomba with the authority to govern the Diocese with all the local Ordinary’s faculties until the future Bishop of Zomba will take canonical possession of the Diocese.”

Fr. Henry Saindi added, “The Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi and Zambia, His Excellency, the most Reverend Gianfranco Gallone, kindly requests us all to unite with him in prayer for the Diocese of Zomba and for his Grace who has generously accepted the request for the good of the people of God in the Diocese of Zomba.”

Zomba Diocese became vacant following Archbishop Tambala’s transfer to the Archdiocese of Lilongwe. The Malawian Archbishop had been at the helm of Zomba Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination on 30 January 2016.

“We have every reason to rejoice and congratulate the most Reverend George Desmond Tambala for this appointment,” ECM Secretary General further says in reference to the Archbishop’s appointment as Apostolic Administrator of Zomba Diocese.

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In his address during the November 27 installation as the Archbishop of Lilongwe, Archbishop Tambala expressed his readiness to be a servant leader.

“To all the institutions, hospitals, schools, universities and everyone in Lilongwe Archdiocese, I come to work with you as a servant,” the Malawian Archbishop said November 27 during his installation at Civo Stadium.  

Addressing the members of the Clergy ministering in the Malawian Archdiocese, he said, “I come to you as a servant, a helper, called to lead you my brother Priests to that Priesthood of Christ which our people need to tell.”

The member of the Religious Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCD) who turned 53 on November 11 is a native of Zomba Diocese.

He made his first Religious Profession in the OCD in 1991 and proceeded to make his perpetual profession on 15 August 1995.

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The alumnus of Nairobi-based Tangaza University College was ordained a Priest on 13 April 1996 at Chiphaso Parish of Malawi’s Lilongwe Archdiocese. 

The newly installed Archbishop who holds a licentiate in Theology from the Faculty of Northern Spain had been at the helm of OCD in Africa and Madagascar before his appointment as Bishop.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.