Malawi Catholic church leader drums support for Chilima presidency in 2019
Head of the powerful and influential Catholic Church in Malawi has indirectly told its faithful to vote for vice president Saulos Chilima in the 2019 presidential race.
Archbishop Thomas Msusa said this Saturday at Limbe Cathedral during the ordination of 11 priests for Blantyre archdiocese.
“Next year we should not vote for leaders because they come from our region, religion or tribe. Let us vote for visionary, God fearing and transformative leader,” said Msusa.
“But please listen carefully, if this God fearing, visionary and transformative leader coes from your church or region don;t hesitate to vote for him. If we have one of our own family, why not vote for that person,” said Msusa.
Chilima is Catholic and has received wide support from priests of his church including the head of the church in central region Bishop Tarcicious Ziyaye.
His Grace Msusa said the church should vote for a leader who is God fearing, visionary and puts Malawi first.
“This is why I say we need to vote for our own member of the church,” said Msusa amid hand clapping and applause from the faithful.
In his speech, Chilima did not speak in metaphors or parables as he has done before on such occasions.
The vice president is yet to kick off his campaign but his Transformation movement is already on the ground campaigning for him.
Catholic church is a shame.They paralised this madalas mind not to marry ..what worthy of advise can a man who has no wife & has never maried in his life offer to people who are married?Msusa do u really know the vatican secret behind bishops not marrying? Ur a puppet to the core..just shut up!
Was Paul married? What about the advices he gave in Romans 7 and other scriptures? Was Jesus married? What about the advices he gave in Matthew 5? We are dumb not knowing the scripture. Read your Bible man, then you will know to speak right
Shame on u also u don’t know the real bible..so u don’t know Jesus had a woman?what u know is the sieved scriptures that were edited by the Roman catholic church..OK?
braveheart, please spill on this electronic page the name of the woman that belonged to Jesus and the scriptures that were edited by the Roman Catholic Church. Its worth reading. Where can I get or purchase such documents. Who printed such scriptures?
Where were you when bishops were arested for standing against the monster regime of Kamuzu Banda? Is it a new thing for them to do what they are doing? It is within their rights to exercise such freedom and they have been successful every time. They rule the universe, and all hear them…
mr msusa you cant tell us who to vote for…are you trying to say we dont have our own heads??
The same church criticising DPP for nepotism is promoting Chilima based on religion. In fact, archbishop Msusa says we should vote for a transformational leader from our ‘region.’ What misguided words from Msusa and the Catholic Church.
This is tantamount to democracy. The Catholic Bishop has goofed bid time. People are complaining of nepotism within DPP and then Bishop Musa comes up with this nonsense. What about Catholics who are DPP supporters? Please if you have nothing to do just keep quite and people will respect you rather than coming up with garbage.
It is an open secret that the state president will be the Arcbishop himself and Chilima will be a mere proxy. God save and forbid the resurface of the Roman Empire!!!
The church is now beginning to loose its vision. Asking people to vote for the most corrupt power-hungry person. Who is visionary? Chilima? Are you serious? We don’t need a baby your honor. We need somebody with malawi at heart and can express it to the people. Chilima rigged elections for DPP at the time we needed change in this country. We are actually living in his vision now… with all this poverty… don’t forget please that this man is still DPP and is in Government!!!
I would ask all who are commenting hear to listen to the clip of what exactly the Archbishop said. He did not mention of a particular candidate but said the Church will endorse any “God-fearing leader even if they were members of the Catholic Church”. My understanding is that this may apply to any of the current presidential candidates. There are also a number of Catholics who are currently heading political parties like Mark Kataonga, Goeorge Mnensa and Saulos Chilima. We all know that Chilima himself has clearly said he will only stand if a convention of the a political grouping or movement endorses him. My understanding is that as it stands now Chilima is not yet a presidential candidate . Now I am wondering why people are trying to twist the words that were uttered by Archbishop Msusa. I repeat let us listen to the clip first and not base our arguments and opinions on headlines by newspapers.
What are you trying to defend? The Catholic Church has consistently shown it’s support for Chilima. This is the clearest pitch for Chilima from the archibishop for the Catholic church.
The Catholic Church goofed big time. SHAME ON CATHOLIC BISHOPS.
This will not build Malawi just preach on good leaders qualities otherwise the church is losing the trust Malawians had in it. am a devout catholic but sitikhala chonchi.
Archbishop Msusa, mwana wanu wachedwa nazo Izi. Or else teach him to be charismatic in his approach and a firebrand in his message delivery to make up for the time lost. This is no time for indecisiveness or waiting to be nominated…….there’s a gap he should just take it like a pro. Go big or go home!!!!!
Roman Catholic Church pliz don’t tell ur congregants what to do. Where on earth did u see a politician who is God fearing? All these politicians pretending to be faithful servants of God are just goats masking in sheep’s coat. Don’t fool people pliz
Bishops have had respect from all Malawians due to the role they played in helping to bring multiparty in Malawi.If Chilima loses the forth coming elections I doubt if that Respect from non catholic Malawians will still be there.Campaign and campaign for him hard.But some of Us know that your Church/Religion does not make you a better leader.Kamuzu was a Protestant ,Bakili a Muslim ,Bingu a Catholic.Malawians know which leaders really let them down and it had nothing to do with their Religion.
@Nalingula:
Good point. But not “If Chilima loses …” . Rather when Chilima loses … .
Chilima can’t win: he’s too late, he has no organisation, he has no gusto as a politician.
Shame for the Catholic Church for getting so deep in endorsing a specific person, like this. I don’t think this happened even in South America, a few decades ago, when military dictatorships were actually silently supported by Church leaders, but openly only by the US.
Now at least we know who influenced Chilima to break with DPP. So, every Catholic will vote for Chilima because he is visionary and God fearing. My foot!! The Roman Catholic church has always wanted to have influence in the politics of Malawi and the world over. This is their opportunity to do so in a big time. If that is the case then all Moslems and protestants should vote for someone else other than Chilima. Roman Catholic church is now a political party. Shame on you!!
Am Catholic but this appalling. If we take archbishop Msusa’so logic, then Pentecostals should vote for Chakwera and MCP. Moslems should vote for Atupele and UDF. Our catholic bishops and priests are shaming our church.
the bishop thinks being a church head everybody would follow his choice . dont you see yourself into shameful waters when your choice finally gets rejected by voters . dont impose .
In 1994 through similar circumstances the Bishops urged the masses to vote for Muluzi, a Moslem. However, they later regretted after the country’s economic gains were plundered during the Muluzi regime. Bishop Chiona, before his demise, even expressed sadness over the state of affairs in particular when Moslems were being urged to marry Christians women after coaxing them to islamise and others through provision of loans that were disbursed specifically to those who joined Islam. This time around, the Bishops have not yet come out very clearly though their eyes on Chilima have not yet been taken off. Come early 2019, the picture will be clear. At the moment there is a very thin line that Bishops are in support of Chilima or not lest they confuse their civic education strategy. But it is their hope that they want a fellow Christian to be a president and not any species of human character akin to Muluzi’s religious faith.
A very unfortunate statement from the Archbishop.
Inunso ma Bishop penanso mwayamba kulakwitsa. Chilima did his best to usher APM into gvt. Lero zavuta ndie aziti mwakati mwakati. No.
zopusa basi
This is not good by akatolika. It is naive just like kindergarten school. Mipingo ina I panhandle chonso. Stop this nonsense.