Abortion bill: Catholic Church against it

Roman Catholic Church faithfuls in Malawi have been urged to stand firm against abortion bill.

The call was made by President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Blantyre Archdiocese in Karonga over the weekend during a service to bid farewell to Cardinal Fernando Filoni who visited Malawi as a special envoy of Pope Francis.

Msusa said the Catholic Church does not support the abortion bill since it respects the sanctity of life in the womb.

He has since challenged the Catholic faithful to stand firm against those advocating for the proposed legislation.

Some Malawians and other organisations in the country are advocating the Termination of Pregnancy Bill, which will grant rights to women in the country to abort their pregnancies.

In his words, special envoy of Pope Francis Cardinal Fernando Filoni expressed joy for the growth of the church in Karonga.

“Today we conclude the initial phase in the development of this young Diocese, which started just six years ago with its creation and the naming of its first Diocesan Bishop, all in response to the steady growth of the Church in this part of Malawi. I am happy to see that, since then, growth has continued, particularly in the number of baptisms and seminarians. This is the result of your dedication to the work of evangelization and your care for the youth and the poor,” the Cardinal said.

The service was attended by Vice President Saulos Chilima, political party leaders, church leaders and others from across the country.