MALAWI: The Catholic Church in AMECEA Region Urged to Uphold African Values and Promote Child Protection
Safeguarding Consultative team
The Church in the region of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA) has been urged to revive its African values that see to it that families up bring and protect children and vulnerable groups from any forms of abuse.
This was said by the AMECEA Secretary General, Rev Fr. Anthony Makunde during the safeguarding consultative meeting aimed at finding solutions on challenges related to child protection by Member Episcopal Conferences in the region.
Fr. Makunde said there are a number of challenges regarding child safeguarding in the modern world and the Church through the clergy, Religious and the lay faithful have to find solutions together and avoid child abuse in the future.
“In our African understanding, we say a child of my neighbour is my child. Whenever I find a child misbehaving or being mistreated, I am supposed to respond immediately. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case as people have lost concern for children who are not biologically theirs. Even some family members are not protecting their children as some of the abuses are happening within the family setting. We have to revive our good African values of helping families in upbringing children. Modernity is good we have adopted a number of modern issues, but that does not mean to neglect the good upbringing values which we used to have,” said Fr. Makunde.
He continued that the Clergy being pastors are supposed to accompany parents in forming a good Catholic Christian family. Pope Francis is encouraging the Church to find solutions and address issues of Child abuse in the Church. Therefore, AMECEA as a region needs to find common means in addressing the pastoral challenge of Child protection in its own context.
“There are quite a number of challenges regarding to Child safeguarding. In the modern world, there are issues of Child employment, Child harassment, Child Bullying, neglecting children in our families, Child soldiers. Although the problem is universal, the solutions differ according to cultural, social and religious environment. The church has neglected these issues in the past but it’s time we join hands to plan together and raise awareness to address the malpractice,” continued the AMECEA Secretary General.
On his part, Rev Fr. Henry Saindi, the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi said issues of Child protection addressed in all Catholic institutions.
“Abuse of minors in the Church is real although safeguarding is the core ministry of the church. Some members might be sceptical about the issue in Church institutions like schools, hospitals, and parishes but the reality is that Child abuse is happening. We must accept that the problem otherwise the fight against Child abuse will be a lost battle already,” said Fr. Saindi.
He then asked Malawian Catholic priests through the Association of Diocesan Catholic Clergy of Malawi to help the Episcopal Conference of Malawi as the Bishops are working on finding solutions to ending child abuse.
The safeguarding consultative meeting was held at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe from 12th to 15th November, 2019 and was patronized by a team from AMECEA Secretariat led by the Secretary General Rev Fr. Makunde and ECM National and diocesan Local Clergy Chairpersons led by ECM Secretary General, Rev Fr. Saindi.
By: ECM’s Stella Zulu Kaferapanjira
