MALAWI: A Conference of Canon Lawyers in Malawi

Fr Israel Madziakaphwa

In a bid to have a universal approach to the operations of Canonical tribunals and administration of justice in the various Archdioceses and dioceses of Malawi, Canon Lawyers have held a three-day workshop at St. Peter’s Major Seminary in Zomba to update themselves on various issues in their field.

The conference is a follow up to another one which took place from 25 to 28 April this year. In the previous meeting, members shared experiences of their diocesan tribunal operations, successes and challenges and a constitution was drafted to direct the activities of the Association.

The present meeting is meant to officially launch the society and review the drafted Constitution which will guide the members in their activities.

The conference was facilitated by Stefan Mathias Mueckl a Canon Lawyer from the Pontifical University of Santa Croce in Rome. The members were briefed and enlightened on issues such as the brief process of marriage annulment according to modifications made by Pope Francis through the Motu Proprio Mitis iudex dominus iesus; brief process for the laicisation from priesthood; maladministration vis-à-vis Church patrimony in the light of Can. 1393 of the new penal law; management and process for child abuse cases as promulgated recently; tribunal operations and how to address and treat cases in the tribunals in the face of lack of personnel.

The workshop draw canon lawyers from all the 8 Dioceses comprising the Episcopal Conference of Malawi and some members from the Catholic Secretariat. With this development, the Canonists will be helped to find ways on how to better administer justice with the recent promulgation done in the Church.

According to the patron of the society of Canon Lawyers in Malawi, His Lordship Adrian Peter Chifukwa, who himself is a Canonist, the workshop aimed at enlightening the canonists in matters that are important to the Christians. The members are will also be encouraged to attend robustly to other judicial matters that fall within their jurisdiction.

In the process, the canonists have been challenged to be dedicated to their work despite the many problems which they face stretching from lack of personnel, lack of finances and difficulties in investigating marriage cases.

The gathering was made possible with funding from Aid to the Church in Need in Germany.