Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa has dismissed claims that Malawi’s Catholic bishops have been paid to keep quiet about the country’s economic crisis, insisting that a pastoral letter will be issued when the time is right.
The Archbishop of Blantyre used his Missionary Sunday homily at St Anthony of Padua Parish to reject accusations that church leaders had been bought off because they had yet to publicly challenge the government’s handling of the economy.
Instead, he urged ordinary Christians to speak out themselves, arguing that it was not the responsibility of bishops alone to raise concerns about the hardships facing the nation.
“Every baptised Christian has the gift of prophecy. Speak out,” he told congregants. “We will write the Pastoral Letter at the right time.”
In a pointed critique of the country’s foreign exchange situation, Archbishop Msusa questioned why some sectors appeared able to access scarce forex while essential services continued to struggle.
“Forex to import cars is available, but forex to buy fuel is not,” he said. “No medicines in public hospitals, but medicines are available in private hospitals. You are all seeing this but you remain silent.”
His remarks come as Malawi continues to grapple with recurring fuel shortages, with motorists frequently facing long queues at filling stations.
Foreign exchange constraints have also been linked to challenges in procuring medicines for public hospitals, raising concerns over access to healthcare.
The Archbishop’s intervention adds to a growing chorus of criticism from senior Catholic leaders over the country’s economic and governance challenges.
Last month, Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops president Bishop Martin Mtumbuka criticised persistent electricity blackouts, the management of public enterprises and what he described as the exploitation of some state-owned institutions by politically connected figures.
Pastoral letters issued by Catholic bishops have historically carried significant political weight in Malawi. Their 2025 letter, Who Will Roll Away the Stone for Us, urged voters to elect leaders with integrity, courage and selflessness ahead of the 16 September general election.
Perhaps most famously, the bishops’ landmark 1992 pastoral letter, Living Our Faith, helped spark a wave of political change that ultimately led to the end of one-party rule and the birth of multiparty democracy.
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