MALAWI: Bishop Chairman for Liturgy Against Prayer Interjections
ECM President Interacts with CWO Members
Sam Kalimba
The Bishop Chairman for the Pastoral Commission at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi and prelate of the Catholic Diocese of Karonga in the provincial See of Lilongwe, (ECM) Rt. Rev. Martin Anwel Mtumbuka stopped acolytes for a while from reading prayer intentions during a golden jubilee Mass for the Catholic Women Organisation in Lilongwe on 22 July, 2023 to teach congregants to respect the order of Mass.
The organisers of the event lined up a series of petitions covering all aspects of life including praying for the universal Church, the local Church, political leaders, children and youth but in a variety of vernacular languages with an aim to show that the Church unites Malawians of different cultures and languages. However, as observed by this reporter, after a prayer was made in a first ‘minor’ language instead responding in an orderly manner some congregants clapped and ululated. This angered Bishop Mtumbuka and corrected the situation immediately.
“Brethren, these women are praying to God and not you. Stop the ululations and hand clapping for we are still at Mass. Leave them to pray on our behalf orderly,” he advised and prayers continued with more other ‘minor’ languages as guided by his Lordship.
The Bishop Chairman expounded further his point during speech time.
“On behalf my fellow bishops I want to guide that from now hence forth, we do not want to see again what we saw today. I know we still have more national functions ahead of us and we will be very observant. We are tired of this and I personally, will not sit and watch unnecessary interjections during Mass. When we have people praying in their cultural language, they are praying to God and let us provide such an environment that is conducive for prayers at all times. The women I repeat were praying to God and not entertaining you,” he advised.
This reporter wanted to hear from the Catholic Women Organization’s side on the guidance provided by the Bishop Chairman of the Pastoral Commission and was lucky to get hold of the immediate past President of the organization who is also a board member of the World Union of the Catholic Women Organisation, Mrs. Lucy Jocelyne Vokhiwa.
“In the first place, I want go further than where the Bishop Chairman stopped. I do not subscribe to the style of presenting petitions in various vernacular languages at a national event. We have a common language that, to a certain extent, we know it as a national language that every culture and tribe comprehend. When, we would want to unite ourselves using language, sometimes it is good to use that common language other than using some languages that for some are really strange,” she replied.
“Even if the prayers are offered to God who is able to understand but it is also important to have others understand what they are praying for because it is a representational petition. For instance, the prayers were meant to pray for various issues we have and yet even I missed which ones were for what so that I could continue praying for that wherever I would go after the Mass. So, I agree with the Bishop and proceed to suggest that for national prayers we should be using a national language that we all understand,” Vokhiwa continued.
This reporter also wanted to get views from the incumbent President, Mrs. Doreen Zimba but by the time of sending this report there was no response.
The very style of prayer intentions during Mass is commonly observed in Malawi on the occasion of commemorating the Pentecost.
A similar guidance was made last year during the National Annual General Meeting of the Catholic Women Organisation Mass in Lilongwe where Rt. Rev. Mtumbuka advised that there should be common gestures and positions for the laity during Mass. He had observed that because the congregants had come from different dioceses, sections of them were responding differently from others in terms of gestures and positions.
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