A Catholic Church deacon who was expected to be ordained as a priest tomorrow has asked the church to put his ordination on hold, saying he wants to first reflect on his calling.
Deacon Regis Mwasiya was expected to be ordained together with nine other deacons in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe tomorrow but he has asked to be given more time to reflect.
“Deacon Regis Mwasiya has requested not to be ordained (tomorrow) on Saturday, 29th July, for he still wants to continue discerning his vocation to priesthood,” Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa has told the local media.
Mwakhwawa added that Archbishop George Desmond Tambala accepted the request in the presence of the parents of the Deacon, Vocation Director, and the Secretary of the Archbishop, among others.
In Malawi, it takes over five years to get formation training on the way to priesthood.
Meanwhile, Journalist James Chavula, in a post on Facebook, has supported Mwasiya’s decision saying the call to priesthood is serious business and one must be 100 percent sure before making a commitment.
“Most ex-seminarians know that what most people mistake for a call to priesthood is just a path of searching for the light to either priesthood or marriage, the two callings/sacraments the teachings of the Catholic Church shall not confer on one soul,” said Chavula.
He added: “The world would have better priests if only those in doubt asked for more time to rediscover their path.”
