Malawi to host continental cardinals and Bishops

The Episcopal Conference of Malawi will host the continent’s Association of Member Episcopal Conference of Eastern Africa (AMECEA) plenary meeting in Lilongwe next month from July 16 to 26.

Publicity secretary for the national organising committee, Saulos Chilima, said over 250 delegates from the eastern African countries are expected to be present at the conference.

“Half of the delegates are cardinals and Bishops from 127 Dioceses in the Eastern Region. The theme of the meeting is ‘New Evangelisation through True Conversion and Witnessing to Christian Faith’,” said Chilima.

Through the conference, Chilima said, the Bishops will seek to inspire and empower God’s family in the region to be a credible and prophetic witness to Christ by promoting unity, development, justice and peace and solidarity.

“Over the years, AMECEA has, among other things, established small Christian communities as a pastoral priority in the region and has also established such institutions of higher learning where some Malawians have been trained,” he said.

AMECEA was founded in 1961 and comprises the Episcopal Conferences of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Archbishop of Blantyre Most Reverend Tarcisius Ziyaye chairs AMECEA.

Since 1991, the grouping has been holding plenary assemblies every three years and this is the third time for Malawi to host the conference. n