BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR
Information Minister Patricia Kaliati has urged Catholic Community of Sant’ Egidio to officially invite President Bingu wa Mutharika if he is to attend this year’s Prayer of Peace at Chancellor College organized by the Community. The Prayer of Peace will be held on November 3 at the Chanco’s Great Hall.
Mutharika had earlier on received an invitation to attend world religious summit in Naples, according to Mario Marazziti spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Naples.
Community of Sant’Egidio had organized a two-day spiritual gathering to be held from Monday next week where, among other things, religious and political leaders are expected to bang heads on issues of HIV/AIDS, plight of Africa, immigration and conflict resolution in the Middle East. Pope Benedict XVI will grace the prayers.
Mutharika had confirmed his participation at the gathering alongside Tanzanian leader Jakaya Murisho Kikwete according to the information from the organizers of the summit in Naples made available on the international networks (internet). But the president had to cancel his presence at the summit to attend to other important government business at the end of his holiday in Portugal.
When answering to a question whether the president would consider attending the same prayer at Chancellor College organized by the local Community of Sant’Egidio, Information Minister Patricia Kaliati who is also government spokesperson said failure of His Excellency to attend a world religious summit in Naples is due his busy schedules. Kaliati said the president is a very busy man and believes in hard working.
“If he failed to attend the summit in Naples at the eleventh hour, it means the president is very busy. As a head of state, he needs to be at home to do something for his people,” she said.
“But what I can advise the Community of Sant’Egidio to do is that they should invite him (Dr. Mutharika) officially. He is a spiritual and prayerful man. Maybe he can spare some time to attend the prayer in Zomba—Chancellor College,” she urged.
Francisco Zuze, Community of Sant’Egidio member in Malawi, who is also National Administrator for Egidio’s Drug Resource Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition (DREAM Programme), said he would be very happy if the president attended the same prayer locally having failed to make it in Naples.
“We believe the president is a very busy person, but if he can have time, it would be very nice if he graced the occasion. We know him to be a prayerful Catholic and would be more than willing to attend,” he said.
“I do understand that he has failed to attend the meeting in Naples due to demanding tasks he had here at home. Otherwise he could not afford to lose the opportunity to meet the Pope and other world leaders in Italy besides leaders of Community of Sant’Egidio,” he observed.
On its part, Malawi Congress Party says it is ready to meet the head of state at the prayer of peace in Zomba if the Community of Sant’Egidio extends the invitation to the party. MCP spokesperson Ishmael Chafukira said Thursday in a telephone interview the party would make itself available if officially invited.
“As MCP, we are always ready to attend that religious gathering. Actually, we have been attending such prayers for a long time. There is nothing that can stop us from attending this one,” he said adding: “We are a God-fearing party.”
Efforts to talk to Sam Mpasu of the United Democratic Front failed due to network problems.
Zuze, however, did not indicate the day when the Community would contact the president and other political leaders for the Prayer of Peace as he (Zuze) was out of office. He is attending another important meeting in Blantyre.
END
No comments:
Post a Comment