MALAWI: Piety Versus Naivety as Possibility of Church Closure Becomes Inevitable During Second Wave of Coronavirus

 Luke Bisani

Since the novel coronavirus was reported over a year ago, health experts have been calling for measurers that can help in curbing the spread of the virus. Among the recommended measure that experts in medical field have recommended is social distance between one person to another in public places.

This measure of preventing Covid-19 spread has been a bite to many Christians.  Churches have been forced to have more services to manage social distance. In extreme cases, we have witnessed Church leaders not having any option than closing doors of their churches as away of fighting the spread of the deadly virus that has made millions of people around the world lifeless.

With the surge of second wave of the virus, governments are urging gathering of not more people as away from trying to contain the virus. In Malawi for instance, the task force responsible to help in a fight against the pandemic of COVID-19 has reminded churches that gathering of people must not exceed 100.

As a matter of compliance, several parish churches have been closed to allow some measures like disinfecting the church premises when one has tested positive for COVID-19. Church leaders have instructed that their faithful must be hundred in number when they gather to worship God.

Such decision has worked to the disadvantage of Church leaders whose followers have questioned their faith in God. During this Covid-19 pandemic, such people believe that they can only get comfort in God and that this monster is to be rid out of man’s life upon His mercy, hence the only comfort zone could be in Church where one goes to pray.

In the past, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) faced criticism by such followers for complying with government restriction and allowing gathering of not more than 100 people.

Boniface Chipula a Catholic faithful at Mthawira Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Blantyre is of the view that closing the church due to the pandemic is a bad idea.

“For me the church would have opened the doors wider this time, increased prayers, fasting and novenas. History tells us that the Church made mistakes when she sought help elsewhere apart from God in her battles against her enemies. Let’s open our eye, the world needs comfort now and it should come from Christ,” says Chipula.

Concurring with Chipula, Edgar Nyirenda another Catholic faithful from the same parish said the Catholics share in the faith on the power of sacraments, hence sending back people due to fear of Covid-19 would undermine such teaching.

“Turning pages of the Holy Bible, you will find that Jesus Christ challenged his disciples that only if they had the faith the size of the mustard seed, they could have powers even to tell a mountain to move from here and be there,” he argues.

For almost a year now, that passage has been challenging such Christians, hence Nyirenda and Chipula stand to blame church leaders for suspending gatherings of Christians due to Covid-19.

A Catholic Priest in the Archdiocese of Blantyre Father Frank Mwinganyama said faulting church leaders for compliance to COVID-19 could be interpreted as extremism, hence being naïve.

“We have people who think that because they are in the Church and they are receiving the Holy Eucharist, they cannot be infected with Covid-19: that’s naivety because we have the practical evidence out there that Covid-19 has claimed lives even of priests,” said Father Mwinganyama.

Father Mwinganyama added that the Holy Spirit “does not work in a vacuum” but rather in the human contest, hence Christians need to practice their piety within the human contest.

Elsewhere some men of God defied Coronavirus preventive measures by being in contact with Covid-19 patients. These men of God had faith that God cures: they too got infected with this deadly virus.  Some might have wondered why those men got infected since everything is possible God. Well, here is the reason why: praying for Covid-19 patients that God grants them healing mercies yet practicing their faith in an extremist way by contacting them was being naïve.

After all, despite the strict measures that governments are putting in place to limit number of people gathering for prayers has not defeated the whole purpose of going to Church to pray but prayer can also be done anywhere – in homes, isolation centres just to mention some.

Therefore, as the second wave of Covid-19 continues to hit our countries hard, I concur with those Church leaders who insist on taking precautions seriously as a way of joining hands with governments in the fight against the spread of the virus which has paralysed the whole world. Otherwise, extremist practice of  faith could fuel the spread of the virus and push many people to the graves.