MALAWI: Archbishop of Lilongwe tells Clergy to Free the Departed
Archbishop George Desmond Tambala
Sam Kalimba
Archbishop George Desmond Tambala of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe has called upon all the priests, Consecrated persons and the entire faithful of his jurisdiction to free the spirits of the departed so that they meet God the creator.
The local ordinary was preaching during a homily at the 2022 prayers for the departed servants of the Lord that took place at the Holy Rosary Likuni Parish on 8th November followed by laying of wreaths at the Archdiocesan Cemetery situated near the Parish.
“The lamentation made by Martha to Jesus when he visited the family of Lazarus few days after his burial represents the questions, we all have when we lose our loved ones. ‘My brother Lazarus would have been alive if you came earlier,’ she told Jesus.
In his reflection on Christ’s visit to the family of Lazarus, the Archbishop disclosed that “Most of us fall prey to this kind of mourning. We tend to ask ourselves why our loved ones died and why they were not healed. We should be consoled and encouraged by Jesus’ response to Martha, which is indeed an answer to our questions on this matter.
‘I am the giver of life, and I am he who raises the dead,’. Let’s be assured that our departed loved ones will have life after their deaths,” said the Prelate.
He reminded Christians that the departed in good accord with the Lord are already with Him, and there are those who still require prayers of the living for God’s mercy to purify their souls so that they be received in His kingdom.
“This is why we are here to pray for the souls of the departed servants so they get purified before the Lord and get His mercy if they didn’t do well. Therefore, loosen the spirits of the departed and let them go,” he said and concluded, “Leave them free from our thoughts of their past and pray for their salvation for it is their time to get it.”
