The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) says Roman Catholic Church members will hold a peaceful march across the country on Thursday in defence of marriage, family and human sexuality.
The protests come as the High Court in Blantyre hearing an application in which a Dutch national and a Malawian want the court to declare the country’s homo-sexuality laws unconstitutional.
In a statement signed by ECM Secretary General Reverend Father Alfred Chaima, the church says the Catechism of the Catholic Church understands family to be “a community” of persons: husband and wife, of parents and children, of relatives.”
“The Catholic Church believes that sexuality is a gift; but sexual acts are only permissible between married man and woman,” the statement says.
The church states that any attack on the Christian marriage or family which Jesus Christ raised to the status of a Sacrament which until then was inscribed on in human nature, is a direct attack on the whole Church.
“As Africans and deeply religious people, in spite of our poverty, we must stand up in defiant defence of the family and culture even when we are under severe pressure from the rich but virtually pagan societies which sadly appear to push us back to the path of colonization after the foundation fathers of our nation won bloody battles against all forms of colonization,” the statement reads.
The leadership of the church has since urged all Pastoral Secretaries, Parish Priests and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace-CCJP officers to play a very active role in close collaboration with the ECM Secretariat and with leaders of other faith groups — in prepare for the march.
