January not a good month for Malawi,” Malawian bishop; Bishop Gandiya: “Forgiveness biggest challenge for Zimbabwe Anglicans”; Pakistan’s only Anglican college receives £2m government grant; Seychelles bishop: “Church will be actively involved in reconstruction efforts”; Vatican receives around 600 abuse cases every year, says prosecutor
January not a good month for Malawi,” Malawian bishop
A Malawian bishop has appealed for global prayer and material support for the flood victims in his country where an estimated 33,000 people have been displaced by floods.
Bishop of the Diocese of Upper Shire, the Rt. Revd Brighton Malasa said the floods that have hit Mozambique have not spared Malawi as the two countries “have similar weather patterns.”
“We have seen floods in the (Malawian) districts of Balaka, Machinga, Zomba west and Mangochi, where a majority of our parishes and institutions are,” he said. “Hunger is looming since people have lost their gardens, livestock and subsistence farming land.”
The Bishop’s concerns are not far-fetched considering that Malawi’s economy is predominantly agricultural with about 90 percent of its population living and cultivating the land in rural areas.
“We would appreciate humanitarian support such as soap, clothes, cereals, sugar, blankets and tents,” he said. “Babies also need milk (because) they are in danger of suffering from malnutrition.”
Meanwhile UNICEF Country Representative in Malawi Mr. Mahimbo Mdoe said “Communities, government, NGOs and the UN are working together to avert a humanitarian disaster but the rains are persistent and we remain on high alert as the flooding spreads to other areas.”
Despite efforts being made by organisations such as UNICEF, Bishop Malasa said this “painful journey” cannot be walked alone and that the church also needs to take an upper hand.
“As a church, we are called to minister to people who are suffering in such difficult situations. We are called to bring full life to them using the already available resources,” he said.
The Diocese of Upper Shire has since set up a special relief committee headed by the Dean of Cathedral, the Very Revd John Chilombe and Vicar General of the Diocese, the Venerable John Mchakama to make sure that the needs of the people are addressed as soon as possible.
The southern part of Malawi is prone to seasonal floods and droughts especially in the early months of the year. In January last year over 5000 were displaced following heavy rains.
Malawi is one country where the knowledge and wisdom of the elderly in the community is appreciated. The Bishop said, “The oldest people in our communities are saying they have not seen such rains (and floods) in the past fifty years.”
For more information contact:
The Dean of the Cathedral Canon John Chilombe at frjohnchilombe@yahoo.co.uk
Bishop of the Upper Shire, the Rt Revd Brighton Malasa at malasab@yahoo.co.uk
Anyone wanting to donate can wire money to the following bank account
Yes they may wire the money through the given banking details below:
Name: National Bank of Malawi
Address: Kamuzu Procession Road, P. O. Box 13, Zomba, Malawi
Account Name: Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire FDCA
Account Number: # 358924
Swift Code: NBMAMWMW006
Corresponding Bank in the US: Citi Bank
Corresponding Bank in the UK: Barclays/Standard Bank
Bishop Gandiya: “Forgiveness biggest challenge for Zimbabwe Anglicans”
Anglican Bishop of Harare the Rt Revd Chad Gandiya has said that forgiveness still remains the biggest challenge for Christians in his diocese after years of “living in exile”.
Bishop Gandiya said: “People are very happy to have returned to their churches but they are still hurting. The church needs to find new ways of teaching on healing and forgiveness.”
The Bishop was referring to the pain suffered after breakaway bishop Dr. Nobert Kunonga and his supporters grabbed church properties including churches, schools and orphanages, leaving Anglicans nowhere to worship.
“All our properties are now back in our hands,” the Bishop said. “We know that Dr Kunonga tried to go back to court but I don’t think it will go anywhere.”
Bp Gandiya is grateful to God for having delivered the properties back to the diocese. He said, “God is faithful and this is something we have experienced during the different moments in our diocese. We can testify to his goodness and faithfulness.”
The Bishop said that the time spent “in exile” made it difficult for the church to pursue many church programmes because they had to use rented properties. “Now we can pursue other aspects of ministry with a lot of joy and appreciation,” he said.
Anglicans in Zimbabwe still have the challenge of rebuilding and renovating the various properties that had been through many years of neglect.
Bp Gandiya said, “We are commissioning a forensic audit to ascertain and establish the extent of damage and misuse.” He added, “One parish has already spent over US$30,000 for renovation works and they are not yet done.”
Despite the joy at having returned to the buildings, an Anglican Youth leader from the Diocese of Harare, Tafadzwa Chimbete feels it is taking too long for people to adapt to the new reality. He believes there are still many more “pressing issues” that the church needs to deal with. “We need to find a way of getting the youths excited about the Church of God,” he said.
“With the negative influences coming in from the Internet and the media, young people need to access their spiritual standing. We need to continue fighting because the (warfare) does not end here.”
Pakistan’s only Anglican college receives £2m government grant
Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC) reports that one of its member institutions, Edwardes College in Peshawar, Pakistan, has received a development grant in the amount of PKR 300 million (US$ 3.1 million) from the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
CUAC’s General Secretary, the Revd Canon James G Callaway noted, ‘This significant grant to Edwardes, the only Anglican college in Pakistan, recognizes the vital role our colleges are playing in non-Christian societies: modeling an embracing of diversity for the common good, which is part of the DNA of their Anglican identity.’
Edwardes College, an Anglican-founded undergraduate and graduate institution, is located in the troubled border region of northwestern Pakistan. The school’s Principal, the Revd Canon Dr Titus Presler, explained the potential impact of the award: ‘This grant of 300 million Pakistani rupees will assist Edwardes with the academic programs and physical facilities vital to the degree-awarding status that will enhance our educational contribution to the province and the nation.’ He continued, ‘Amid the extremist violence of the region, it is heartening that this province in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has expressed such confidence in the higher education offered by a church institution. Lots of bad news comes from this area, but there is ground for hope.’
In remarks expressing gratitude to Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, the Higher Education Secretariat, and the Higher Education Regulatory Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Presler recognized that the provincial officials had consulted with the College’s Management Team for about nine months in preparing the grant, which was announced on November 16, 2012 and received in January, 2013. This funding will support faculty higher studies, enhance library resources, improve scientific laboratories, and fund premises for expanded academic programs.
‘Students and the province as a whole will benefit from this grant as it leads to quality enhancement,’ said Vice Principal Professor Kalim Ullah, who has served Edwardes for 36 years. ‘Edwardes is a cradle of academic learning and a community of interfaith understanding. We try to develop the whole person and reach out to the wider community in these difficult times in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.’
The Bishop of the Diocese of Peshawar, the Rt Revd Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters, was gratified by the development. ‘Edwardes College is one of our major institutions, and we are delighted that the province is offering this boost at a turning-point in the College’s history’, he declared. The Diocese of Peshawar is the College’s sponsoring body.
The oldest institution of higher education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Edwardes was founded in 1900 by the Church Missionary Society. Since 1956 it has operated under the auspices of the local church, which in 1970 joined with Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians to form the Church of Pakistan, a full member of the Anglican Communion.
ASeychelles bishop: “Church will be actively involved in reconstruction efforts”
Bishop of the Diocese of Seychelles, the Rt Revd James Wong told the Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) “The situation in Seychelles is very sad and challenging,” he said. “We have so many problems already and the floods have just brought more physical and material difficulty.”
This is understandable considering that the Seychelles’ economy is mainly dependent on tourism which is easily affected by such occurrences.
Reports indicate that up to 350 families have been displaced or remain unsheltered as they wait for their homes to be rehabilitated due to heavy rains and high tides.
Experts are assessing the damage in order to establish the immediate needs of the people and the associated costs.
Bp James said: “Currently, it’s very difficult to quantify the damage.” I am waiting for a report from the government.”
“Some people who have been displaced are staying at the Seychelles Police Academy. The government has asked guesthouses to open their doors and help accommodate stranded victims.”
The Bishop was concerned that the education sector is usually one of the hardest hit sectors during such disasters.
He explained, “Some schools closed for some time and those that are open are asking pupils to carry their own drinking water for fear of water pollution.”
Last week, the Primate and Bishop of Mauritius, Archbishop Ian Ernest asked the Anglican Communion for prayers and financial support. He also wrote to supporters to raise awareness of the crisis.
Vatican receives around 600 abuse cases every year, says prosecutor
The Vatican’s new chief prosecutor said many of the cases date back to the 1960s, 70s and 80s.http://www.thejournal.ie/vatican-prosecutor-child-sex-abuse-785592-Feb2013/