Catholic women back church’s stance on abortion, contraceptives

Catholic women in the country say they will rally behind the church’s stance on abortion and use of contraceptives, adding they will spearhead the fight to make sure that the legalization of the former and the use of the latter come to a halt.

Meeting under the banner of Catholic Women Organization (CWO) in Catholic Diocese of Karonga, the women also made their resolutions on such other issues as “being faithful to their spouses and families” as well as “climate change.”

Bernadette Chiwaya, CWO Malawi national chairperson, said they “would follow to the latter the statutes of the Church,” and would “remain firm in as far as abortion and use of abortion which the Church condemns is concerned.”

She said while many quarters were calling for the legalization of abortion in the country, and freer use of contraceptives, they would support their leaders on their stance on the matter.

On climate change, Chiwaya said that they had resolved that every Catholic woman in the country plant a minimum of a tree from henceforth and take care of it as one way of supporting the Church’s doctrines on responding to climate change.

“The minimum of a tree is just a minimum, but we agreed we could plant as many as possible,” said Chiwaya. “And considering the number of Catholic women in the country, we are sure the impact would be huge.”

Bishop Peter Musikuwa of Chikhwawa Diocese, who is also chairperson for the Church’s lay organisations at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), encouraged the women to “remain united” and spirited in their pursuits towards attaining eternal life.

Citing the example of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, Musikuwa said women were “builders and not breakers” because God had not prepared them as such.

He, therefore, asked women to “help in preaching the good news and building the Church further for the greater glory of God.”

The weeklong meeting was held at the Catholic’s Miracle Technical Institute – a vocational training centre owned and run by the order of the Marianist Brothers also known as the Society of Mary.

Over five hundred delegates from all the eight dioceses of the Catholic Church in Malawi attended the conference. Next year the conference will be held in the Diocese of Chikhwawa.