By MANA Reporter
Government has commended the Roman Catholic church in Malawi for its unceasing efforts to combine the philosophies of faith to that of holistic personal development which centres on service delivery in key areas of the economy.
This was said by President Arthur Peter Mutharika on Friday at Kamuzu Palace when he welcomed the Catholic Bishops who went to formally introduce to him the newly-appointed Bishop-elect for Zomba Diocese, Father George Desmund Tambala.
The delegation, which came under the identification of Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), was led by Archbishop Thomas Msusa who is the head of the church in the country.
While expressing profound gratitude for the appointment of Father Tambala, President Mutharika noted how crucial the church has been to the country’s social fabric for many decades and how best it can continue to champion such a cause.
“May you accept our gratitude for everything that the Catholic Church is doing in support of my government’s development programs. Your provision of education, health, food security and other services are appreciated. In the same vein we believe that faith is beyond church; when people have faith in God, they have faith in themselves. Allow me therefore, through you our Bishops and faith leaders, to challenge Malawians to believe in themselves, in their capabilities. When they believe in themselves, they will work hard, they will be patriotic, and they will be people of integrity. In the end, it is mother Malawi that will progress”
President Mutharika promised the Bishop-elect unceasing support from him as an individual and his government in all the activities and programs of the Zomba Diocese.
Father Tambala, who was appointed Bishop by Pope Francis in October 2015, was born on November 18, 1968 in Zomba.
He has served the Catholic church in various capacities since April 13, 1996 when he was ordained as priest at Chiphaso Parish in Lilongwe Archdiocese.
