MALAWI: Karonga Diocese launches a Catechism translated in Vernacular
Rt. Rev. Pates during Eucharist celebration
The diocese of Karonga launches a catechism that has been translated into Chitumbuka language in order to help Christians understand their faith and share it with others.
According to the Bishop of Karonga Rt. Rev. Martin Mtumbuka, the diocese wanted to have something that provides basic answers to all spiritual questions that Christians have and that would be easily understood by all Christians including children.
“The level of literacy in most of our Christians is not very high and so they have very little understanding of our faith. We feel as the Catholic Church that, we have not done enough in making our Christians understand our Catechism and it is now time to be more serious with this pastoral role,” Bishop Mtumbuka said
Bishop Mtumbuka also wishes to translate the Catechism into other local languages spoken in Malawi especially Chichewa to make sure that a larger number of faithful are well formed in faith to enable them stand firm.
“We baptize many Christians in the Church every year but barely few months, we don’t see them. We feel time for mere baptism is gone, Christians should understand our faith and live it. They should be strong Christians who will stand strong in their faith in good and bad times,” He said.
Presiding over the Eucharistic celebration, Bishop of Des Monies Rt. Rev. Richard Edmund Pates from the United States of America, commended the diocese for having the catechism in its own language which will make Christians more familiar with what they believe in.
“The apostles were being sent through the Holy Spirit to share the gospel to the whole world. Today we Christians are being sent to go and share the gospel to others so that they know who God is. This is why today, we are launching this catechism so that we know deeply who God is and share him to others. This catechism launched today should deepen your faith in Christ and help you follow Jesus’ commandments,” he said.
After mass, Bishop Pates toured Lusubiro center where various projects for the diocese are taking place. At this center the Bishop appreciated some of the projects undertaken namely Sustainable Option Recommended for Testing (SORT) and HOPE project. The Bishop also visited the diocese’s Tuntufye Radio and the Lisubiro Orphanage.
Explaining the projects to Bishop Pates, Bishop Mtumbuka said the place was founded in 1997 to look after the needy through sensitization of communities considering that taking care of the needy is also an integral part of the Catechism apart from spiritual care.
Bishop Pates appreciated what the church is doing and he was amazed by how the church has grown as compared to some fifty years ago when he lived in Karonga at St Mary’s Parish as a deacon.
“The Great Spirit and loving care of the people haven’t changed, Karonga and the church have grown, outstations are becoming parishes and people are attending Mass in great numbers. The church is also working with communities for the betterment of the people; the orphanage just proved how the church loves and cares for its people,” commended the Bishop.
Karonga diocese is one of the eight dioceses of the Catholic Church in Malawi and is located to the northern part of the country with Chitumbuka as its main language.
