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| Bishops of Malawi, Standing from left Rt. Rev. Peter Martin Musikuwa of Chikwawa, Rt. Rev. Montfort Stima of Mangochi, Rt. Rev Emmanuel Kanyama of Dedza, Sitting from Left Most Rev. Tarcisio Ziyaye of Lilongwe, Rt. Rev. Joseph Mukasa Zuza of Mzuzu and Most Rev. Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre. (Missing in the Photo is Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of Keronga) |
The Catholic Bishops of Malawi (ECM) are planning to hold a thanksgiving Ceremony for the success of the 18th AMECEA Plenary Assembly, which was hosted by the conference from 16th to 26th July, 2014.
According to Fr George Buleya, Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), the decision to have a special thanksgiving Mass was made during the bishops’ meeting that was held at the Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe, on 11th September, 2014, when they received a preliminary report from the AMECEA 2014 Plenary Committee.
“The thanksgiving ceremony may not attract the kind of multitude that was there during the plenary assembly. Nevertheless, it will be national in that the Conference plans to have representatives from all the dioceses from across the country attending the ceremony,” he added.
The event has been scheduled to take place on 31st January 2015 in Lilongwe, during which the bishops, while thanking God, will also make special recognition of Christians, Catholic institutions, and all people of good will who significantly contributed to the success of the plenary assembly. “The Conference is indeed very grateful to all people that participated in one way or the other during the preparations and the actual Plenary Assembly,” said Fr. Buleya.
At the same occasion, it is expected that the bishops will also launch a booklet that contains official proceedings of the 18th AMECEA plenary, as the bishops want the message to reach out to all Christians at grassroots level. “Preparations for implementation of the plenary’s resolution have already started. For instance, the bishops have set up a special committee under ECM’s pastoral department, to find ways of engaging Christians into serious reflection on the message of that came from the 18th AMECEA plenary bishops,” he said.
According to reports at the Catholic secretariat, the bishops in Malawi have decided to find ways of bringing the 18th AMECEA Plenary Message to the grassroots level. “Some dioceses have already translated into local languages the communiqué that the newly elected chairman of AMECEA, Most Rev. Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, Archbishop of Metropolitan Archdiocese of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia presented to the faithful during the closing ceremony of the 18th AMECEA Plenary Assembly.”
The 18th AMECEA Plenary Assembly in Malawi has been lauded as the best in the history of AMECEA and the Malawi Bishops attributes that success to the ordinary people of Malawi who owned the event, supported it entirely and ensured that everything was a success.
Source: Fr. Andrew Kaufa ECM Communications Secretary and Pamela Adinda AMECEA Social Communications