MALAWI: “Don’t Kill The Sacrament of Reconciliation,” Says Archbishop Tambala
Archbishop George Desmond Tambala
ECM Correspondent
The Archbishop of Lilongwe Archdiocese Most Rev. George Desmond Tambala has expressed concern as fewer and fewer Catholics are showing up for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The Prelate publicly expressed his fears that the development could effectively negate the sacrament.
Archbishop Tambala said this when he ordained two priests at St. Francis (Kanengo) Parish on Saturday, November 30 and implored Catholics to use the all-important Sacrament.
“We have parishes where the confession rooms were turned into storage rooms. Priests no longer go there because Christians are not demanding the Sacrament of Confession. Effectively, we are killing one of the seven sacraments in the church and we cannot do that.
“The Sacrament is rooted in Scriptures,” noted Archbishop Tambala referring to the Gospel of the day taken from John 20: 19-23 where Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into his disciples sending them “as the Father sent me” with an assurance that the sins of those they shall forgive would be forgiven.
He, therefore, urged the faithful to return to confession and always mend their relationship with God as priests “susceptible to sin too” are available for all who seek forgiveness.
“Sometimes we argue that we cannot go to confess before a priest because they are human and sin too. But in the Gospel today, Jesus is empowering the disciples to forgive sins and these disciples include Peter the disciple who denied Jesus as he faced persecution. Peter sinned but got the power to forgive.
“We all sin. Even the Pope goes for confession. We must live by sacraments. That includes confession,” said the prelate.
Those ordained to the priesthood were Deacon Gervasio Chikuni and Deacon Noah Silvester Kwenda at a ceremony that took place at St. Francis (Kanengo) Catholic Parish.
