MALAWI: Catholic Church Helped Drive Malawi’s 1992 Democratic Transition, Says Prelate

Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka said the Catholic Church helped lead Malawi's transition from one-party rule to multiparty democracy in 1992. Speaking Saturday at St. Mary’s Nzama Parish in the Diocese of Dedza, the president of the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops noted that while the bishops are proud of their role in the democratic shift, the political changes following that period have not met the Church's expectations.

Bishop Mtumbuka, who also serves as the Bishop of Karonga, stated that bishops are not politicians but have a responsibility to speak on national issues and remind leaders of their duties. He criticized the conduct of current political leaders, alleging that they often focus on victimizing and humiliating one another instead of performing the work for which they were elected.

The remarks were made during celebrations marking 125 years of the permanent establishment of the Catholic Church in Malawi.