Archdiocese of Lilongwe Launches Jubilee Year Focused on Hope

Archbishop George Desmond Tambala of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe has officially launched the Jubilee year themed Pilgrims of Hope with a Eucharistic celebration at Maula Cathedral.

The celebration began with the symbolic opening of the cathedral doors, marking the start of this significant period for the Catholic community.

The launch follows the receipt of a letter from the Holy Father, which emphasizes hope as the central theme of the Jubilee Year.

In his remarks during the launch, Archbishop Tambala reiterated the core message of the Jubilee: “We should give hope to those people who have lost it and also have hope in our lives and also in everything that we do.” He stressed the importance of embodying hope and extending it to those in despair, echoing the Pope’s message.

“In this letter,” Archbishop Tambala explained, “the Holy Father is reminding us to have hope in everything that we do, hope in our life, and also to give hope to places where people have lost hope.”

The Archbishop emphasized the importance of this message for all the faithful of the Archdiocese, urging them to embody hope and to extend it to those in despair. “We are sending to our faithful, and the whole Archdiocese the message of hope especially to those people that have lost it,” he said.

While specific programs will be announced by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the Archdiocese of Lilongwe will also integrate the Jubilee Year into its ongoing synod. Archbishop Tambala highlighted the opportune timing of the synod, stating, “We also have a synod, and this synod comes at a very appropriate time. We will be working together, through the synod and also through the Jubilee.”

The Archbishop indicated that the combined focus of the Jubilee and the synod will likely lead to various initiatives in areas such as evangelization and youth ministry. “As we go along,” he added, “certainly a lot of things will come up in the area of evangelization, youth and other areas.”

The opening of the doors of Maula Cathedral and Archbishop Tambala’s message mark the beginning of a period of reflection and action for the Catholic community in Lilongwe, centered on the powerful message of hope.