Malawi reverses church ban: Worshippers asked to take extra caution to prevent Covid-19 spread
The decision by Special Cabinet Committee on coronavirus (Covid-19) to impose a ban against church gatherings has been reversed by government, Malawi Council of Churches (MCC) has said.
Minister of Health Jappie Mhango, who chairs the Special Cabinet Committee on Covid-19, prescribed during a news conference on Tuesday that church gatherings be suspended as a measure to prevent the spread of the killer virus in the country.
But in a statement MCC general secretary Gilford Matonga said churches will still congregate in line with guidelines on physical distance.
Matonga said MCC government has “clarified” its position and said that “Christians should continue to meet as earlier announced.”
He said MCC sought clarification from Presidential advisor of religious affairs, Apostle Timothy Khoviwa, and that churches will continue gathering in the meantime.
The Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the umbrella body of the Catholic Bishops in Malawi, has also advised Catholic faithful to continue gatherings for prayers but should not exceed 100 congregants at a time.
“Therefore, church gatherings, communal liturgical celebrations including liturgies of the Holy Week must adhere to Presidential directives, ECM guidelines and the Decree from the Holy See in order to prevent the speed of the coronavirus,” ECM said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times and signed by its secretary general Reverend Father Henry Saindi.
The church has however said it has put in place measures to curb possible transmission among faithful.
Saindi said strict action will be taken to ensure personal hygiene is not compromised.
The church also banned handshakes instead recommending waving to contain transmission of Covid-19.
Malawi announced its first coronavirus death on Tuesday as well as three additional cases, bringing the tally of infections to eight in one of the last countries in Africa to report the disease.
President Peter Mutharika declared a state of emergency on March 23 to combat the virus, closing schools until further notice.
He has since announced recruitment by the health ministry of 2,000 extra staff.
Over the weekend, Mutharika said he would cut his own salary and the wages of his ministers to help fund the fight against coronavirus.
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Malawians want to be more christian than the people who brought christianity. Churches in England have closed yet Malawians are resisting because christianity is the highest money earning activity where people use the name of God to earn money. They claim all belongs to God and that God only needs a 10 percent.
CONFLICTING DECISIONS FROM OUR GOVERNMENT . If you allow people to gather in churches hiding under the guise that hey will be practicing social distancing yet they will be in a place that air circulation will not be 100 percent good , then the risk will still be very high of transmission of the virus. Recent studies have shown that if one coughs or sneezes in an enclosed space, micro droplets stay in the air for 45 minutes. If one hundred people are going to be in the church for two hours and one person is coughing how much risk is there for the ninety who are there with him / her? After church, those people are going to meet a lot more other people increasing the risk of the spread of the disease. Now that there is no lock down in the country and people are still going about their daily chores, considering our large population most places are always crowded and social distancing is not easy to implement, Are we not putting the nation at a greater risk of the spread of the disease by allowing gatherings in churches?. A number of countries in the SADC region in addition to social distancing, hand washing, sanitizing and wearing musks in crowded places, have instituted lock downs as away of / stopping the spread of the disease by limiting movement of people, number of people gatherings reduced to ten and in other countries even down to two. People are encouraged to stay at home during the lock down.
Wow! This government is really stupid
If I am right, the worse affected people and most death in South Korea was from one church group or sect which ignored the orders and continued to meet. 75% of them are no more. Even the preacher apologised to the whole nation. Malawians, why are we clueless, even the educated. I am not stepping in any church.
asatana inu zikanganani
My fellow Malawians
This is a crazy decision by APM. You can still pray in your own home with your family. Peter why do you want to to deceive people and put their lives at risk.
My advice is that Peter should also be going to Church every week and see what will happen
You are against church gathering because you are agents of darkness, any person who believes in God, will understand that when you are in trouble you always call on the name of God. *[[Mat 18:20/UKJV]]* For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. This virus is demonic, and you need the church to save you not staying at home, see where there staying at home like America and other countries what has changed? Only China because they know what there doing, a Malawi, solution is with God. Haven’t you seen conflicting statements about how this is transmitted? Iweyo osadabwa bwanji, you think social distance can save you? It’s the mercies of God that saves mankind
Throughout most of the world all the mosques churches and other prayer places have been closed temporarily. Here in Malawi all the mosques have been closed as well and Muslims are encouraged to pray at home. Maybe apostle Timothy knows better. All you need is one person in the church who has contracted Covid 19 and he can cause havoc.
This just shows that the Government doesn’t have enough understanding of this disease. I am really mortified at the stupidity on display here. How can the whole government decide to risk the lives of its citizens like this? It’s either they don’t care or they are ignorant. Am so revered. Idiotic public display. And the opposition where are you? So called Human Rihhts Defenders..where are you?
What justification is there to allow church gatherings but not other gatherings. If the church gathering is allowed on the condition that they should practice social distance then the same should apply to other gatherings
Attending any form of social gathering during the Corona virus outbreak is irresponsible. you do not need to attend Church , Mosque or a Synagogue to pray to an omnipresent God
It’s sad that even the so called health professionals are stressing more on voter registration than church gatherings as the great threat to COVID-19 fight. Really? You mean social distancing can not work in voter registration centers but can do in church gatherings???? This is shameful and scandalous.
Abale…even when you are home you can worship the Lord. God is too big….ever present..
MALAWI GOVERNMENT LET PEOPLE STAY HOME …LET US FIGHT THIS CORONA VIRUS TOGETHER.
JAMES 2 V 20 .DO YOU WANT TO BE SHOWN, YOU FOOLISH PERSON ……THAT FAITH APART FROM WORKS IS USELESS.
In this case of Corona Virus we just have to do the work as well while praying for God’s intervention. LETS NOT BE THE FOOLISH NATION
Zikomo a mipingo, polongosola momwe muchitire komalo achipembedzo popewa coronavirus. Zomwe muchite kumeneko ndizomwenso zichitike kumalo olembetsa kalembera wa voti ikubwerayi. Mhango, Dausi ndi anzao kumpatikiza mbuya wao Mutharika alibe kothawira, chisankho chikhalapo basi.
That’s defeating the whole purpose of fighting covid 19. You may as well let the voter registration and elections go ahead as one can practice social distancing better than in a church gathering.
This a very bad bad move. These religious leaders are not concerned with people’s lives but they have seen that they are not getting enough offerings. Faith without works or actions is dead.
Do what you think will make you safe not what money hungry people are doing.
Munya muoona simubera ndalama anthu anu
And it will be the same clergy who are putting much unnecessary pressure on government who will in be in the forefront blaming government for not having done enough when we start dying. Their PhD s in theology are not assisting much to understand the virus.
Very bad idea.Ban was a big deal…these Malawi church leaders can,t have prophecy for this virus and yet they call themselves choosen,they also deepend on TB Joshua.If gorvenment suspended school what more about churches,we can always pray to Our LORD GOD even at home and that we been doing all the time before this virus, nothing new.You went for talks…haa that is a bad idea…You should have gone to the hospital to pray for the sick so that they get healed.During these times,Moses went to God for the Isreal,so let us be indoors you talk to God if u can…and Jappie Mhango made it good,dont query him later.
Please tell us anything but T B Joshua. We’ve had enough of this do-gooder.
Now the DPP has started to politicize COVID-19, if you think you will get votes out this move, you are cheating yourself. Am not buying this nonses of going to church. Let the president attend a church service if he is serious about this. This is the most illogical and stupid thing for the government to bow down to religion.
This isn’t practical if social distance is to be taken seriously and Corona Virus will not fear the church because most of the people in the church are simply religious and mere church goers still walking in sin Mathews 15:8-9
Looks like the so called chair of the committee did not do enough consultations. Remember that committee is not legally binding and most directives are being abode by because Malawi is very careful in order to control the spread of SARS Cov 19. All the directives that this committee has made thus far is not enforceable by an law and the absence of enacted rules and regulations which could have been made once it was learnt that cases are confirmed in the region. it could have not been hard to convene a special sitting of parliament around March 15 and do that. APM being APM that never happened.
We need to learn from other countries like South Korea and India, where they had alot of infections amongst people who attended certain religious gatherings. People can still pray from their homes and God will still answer those prayers.
This is the weakest link in the tight to halt the spread of the pandemic. The clergy have high appetite for people’s offerings. 100 congregants in what size of building? Who said the the Almighty only listens when people arre in a church?
The problem we have Africans especially here in Malawi is that if somebody speaks something contrary to religious customs we deem that person a sinner and we ourselves are afraid to comment on any issue of that sort for fear of being seen as a sinner. This is why I am afraid that this stupid disease COVID-19 will wipe us out. We are ready to follow other health measures but we are refusing to part ways just for a while with some of our religious customs and beliefs that are part of the ways how this disease is transmitted from one person to the other. That’s why as a Catholic myself am so proud that my church is not hesitating when it comes to thinking thanks to the Philosophical studies our priests go through. Its only philosophy that has to be applied for one to know what to do or not to do at what time and what place.
Let’s be Serious if we Take Measures it Must be Full Measures …You are telling Us that Churches will be able to enforce the 1metre social distance …. That some people will be Turned Back ? What’s so special about the Number 100 ? What if 1 of the 100 is infected in that closed space where people will spend close to an Hour praying ….Then Churches will be able to disinfect the Chairs ,floors and everything afterwards ?Maybe players must take place outside in open spaces ….It’s Only MEC which can not take Precautionery Measures What a Shame…..
Bravo,shame to the devil,we will still meet and pray to our God,the only one who has the solution to the current global crisis
Out of 14 comments here , only this comment by u KINANASI 1 seems to be relevant to me .
We can’t bow down to virus or any disease as Christians this is the moment we need to pray hard in our homes or Churches bcoz Satan is engulfing this universe
Let’s repent our sins and ask the almighty Father to heal this world .
Social distance for what ? Let’s just pray to God only as he is only the healer of this Pandemic .
The epicenter of the outbreak in Israel is among the Orthodox Jews who, like you, refused to practice social distancing. Now they are the most infected and dying. Good luck to you. God is not confined to the four walls of church. Pray and worship with your family at home.
Pandora’s box just opened…wait and mark my word…It is hard to control social distance in church, first days will be OK. With passage of time, people tend to forget and that is what COVID-19 wants as a fertile ground to pounce….