President Lazarus Chakwera has projected that Malawi Bishops are among the undesignated advisors to his presidency.
Presidents are in a dutiful habit of choosing and designating special people endowed with significant knowledge in relevant fields to act as official advisors in the running of the cross-sectoral affairs of a country.
Upon assuming office in 2020, President Chakwera was no different in that he announced a list of appointed individuals as his advisors in various fields.
However, the appointment of advisors does not close out inlets of advice which take various forms including opinions, solicited or not, which come from random fountains not featured on official or designated list.
Speaking today at the consecration of the Very Reverend Alfred Chaima as bishop of the diocese of Zomba today, President Chakwera remarked that he benefits from counsel of bishops in the country in running his office.
Said the President in his address:
“I myself have been a beneficiary of the College of Bishops. In the three years that I have been serving the people of Malawi as President, I have hosted an interface with the Episcopal Conference of Malawi a total of seven times, which is an average of no less than one interface every six months.
“From those interfaces, I have found the college of Bishops to be a great source of wisdom, encouragement, and comfort, which the Bishops administer with humility, integrity, and maturity.
“Additionally, I have drawn great inspiration from the example that the Bishops set for honesty, devotion, and courage. I am therefore delighted that His Lordship Bishop Chaima has now joined this distinguished and eminent body of Bishops, and I look forward to have the benefit of his anointed counsel at my next interface with the Conference, hopefully over some Nsima and Fish.”
The President said that he considers it proper for him to receive counsel from the Bishops because their counsel is unlike any counsel he can receive from any Government Minister or Advisor asserting that “the counsel of the Bishops is the counsel of God, borne out of hours spent in prayer and meditation.”
