Mutharika comes face to face with Malawi Catholic bishops after scathing pastoral letter

President Peter Mutharika on Saturday met two Catholics bishops face to face during the Bingu wa Mutharika memorial mass service in Thyolo.

Catholic bishops issued a scathing pastoral letter a month ago that faulted the Peter Mutharika administration on several fronts including economic, social and political.

President Mutharika and his government officials have not responded to the letter.

Saturday was the first time that Archbishop Thomas  Luke Msusa of the Catholic church and the chief author of the letter met face to face with Mutharika at Goliati in Thyolo , the home area of the Mutharika brothers who are now ruling the country for 10 years combined.

Bishop Musikuwa of Chikhawa Diocese was also present during the memorial mass service that  assisted in memorial mass by  three priests, including the one in charge of Chingazi Parish, Father Steven Pahuwa.

The memorial drew Democratic Progressive Party officialls as well as government officials.

President Mutharika did not have a chance to discuss the pastoral letter matter with the bishops neither did he speak at the function.

However Archbishop Msusa praised the late Bingu for his “visionary” leadership as evidenced by his philosophy of turning Malawi from a predominantly importing  country to a predominantly exporting country and that he  used to say‘let the works of my hands speak for me’.

“He meant we should all unite and work together. Death is not the end of everything, let us pray for each other and have trust in God,” he said.

In his homily, Bishop Musikuwa prayed for Malawians to always strive to continue pursuing the late Bingu’s vision of developing the country.

He said Jesus Christ, who defeated death shall always help the nation to defeat problems Malawians encounter and that there nothing impossible if people put their trust in God.

Politicians who spoke during the service, including Democratic Progressive Party secretary general spoke highly of the late president and avoided attacking the pastoral letter.

Among others, the Catholic pastoral letter criticised the government for the severe food shortages but speaking on Friday in Nchalo, the president seemed to be in denial of severe food shortages prevailing in the country, claiming no one has died of hunger.