Bishop Martin Anwell Mtumbuka, Malawians are watching, and the question is simple: Are you a spiritual leader or a politician? If you have chosen the political path, declare your position openly.
Do not hide behind the holy altar while pushing partisan interests. The people of Malawi deserve clarity, and the Roman Catholic Church in the country deserves better.
On Saturday, May 3, 2025, the President of Malawi, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, attended the installation of the new Bishop for Mzuzu Diocese, Right Reverend Yohane Sugzo Nyirenda. The event, meant to be a spiritual and unifying occasion, turned divisive when Bishop Mtumbuka—the head of Karonga Diocese and President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi—made public remarks that have raised suspicions over his spiritual leadership across the country.
In blatant insults and politically charged statement, Bishop Mtumbuka told President Chakwera that he should not feel obliged to attend Church functions even when invited, suggesting that his presence could misuse national resources.
“We are sorry that we disrupted your schedule, Mr. President… Please know that when we send you our invitations, you should not feel obliged to attend,” said Mtumbuka in front of congregants, clergy, and government officials.
To many Malawians, this was not just an innocent statement—it was a direct attack on the President under the guise of humility. The fact that President Chakwera adjusted his already busy schedule to attend the Church’s own invitation makes Bishop Mtumbuka’s words not only ungrateful, but also provocative and politically suspicious.
That statement, veiled in politeness was blatantly sharp in intent. How can the Roman Catholic Church invite the Head of State and then ridicule him for showing up? Many believe the speech was not only unnecessary, but a clear display of political hostility toward the President and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Malawians are now asking: Is Bishop Mtumbuka speaking as a spiritual leader, or as a political player? Increasingly, it seems like the lines are getting blurred.
Malawians are justifiably expressing disappointment with the Bishop’s remarks. One post on Facebook reads: “Nthawi zina osamazimva nzeru ayi [Sometimes don’t overestimate your wisdom]. You invite the President and then rebuke him for coming? That’s hypocrisy at its highest level.”
Another Malawian criticized the Bishop’s lack of neutrality: “Bishop Mtumbuka should apologize to President Chakwera. That speech was unnecessary, disrespectful, and very political.”
These sentiments reflect a growing concern that the Roman Catholic Church in Malawi—particularly under Bishop Mtumbuka’s leadership—is behaving more like a political pressure group than a religious institution.
The tension between the Roman Catholic Church and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is not new. Since 1961, the relationship has been strained. Back then, Catholic bishops supported the formation of the Christian Democratic Party (CDP) led by Chester Katsonga as an alternative to the dominant MCP.
That history of the Roman Catholic Church trying to poke its nose into national politics especially whenever the MCP is in power has been carried over generations, and Bishop Mtumbuka appears determined to carry on the grudge into the 21st century.
It seems that since 1961, the Roman Catholic Church has been determined to see their own at State House, an ambition which has embarrassingly never materialized and seems it is likely not to be for a long time to come.
Over the years, the Church has been accused of favoring political candidates who are Roman Catholics. It is an open secret that many bishops, including Mtumbuka, supported former Vice President Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima, a Roman Catholic, under the UTM banner. Sadly, Chilima’s tragic death shattered those hopes and dreams, but the agenda seems to live on.
Bishop Mtumbuka, who is the uncle of UTM senior official Dr. Matthews Mtumbuka, has been caught using the pulpit, without shame, to subtly push political agendas in favor of his family and party. The Bishop was openly bitter when Dr. Mtumbuka was embarrassingly defeated by Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), during the UTM convention in November last year.
There are video clips circulating online showing Bishop Mtumbuka openly discouraging congregants from voting for President Chakwera and the MCP government in the next elections. That is not religious leadership. That is campaigning from the pulpit.
Bishop Mtumbuka has never been subtle in his political games and insults on presidents. When Bingu Wa Mutharika was Sate President, he also insulted him by calling the Head of State “chindele chakufikapo” translated to mean an “absolute fool”.
Let’s be honest. When the head of the Roman Catholic Church is openly making political jabs while standing on the pulpit, and his blood nephew is a senior official in the UTM with his own presidential ambitions, how can we trust the neutrality of the Church?
This is a dangerous for the Church. Religion should never be weaponized for political purposes. When bishops begin to use Church platforms to promote their preferred political parties, they mislead the faithful, divide congregations, and damage the very soul of the Church.
The Roman Catholic Church is supposed to be neutral and a moral voice for all people, regardless of their political beliefs. When religious leaders begin to act like politicians, it weakens their moral authority and divides their followers.
Like one social media user put it bluntly: “If Bishop Mtumbuka wants to fight political battles, let him remove his collar and stand for elections. We will meet him in the political ring.”
If the Church continues to behave like a political party, who will hold both the ruling government and the opposition accountable when they go wrong?
Bishop Mtumbuka must decide whether he wants to be a bishop or a politician. He cannot be both. If he wishes to influence political decisions directly, he should resign from his ecclesiastical role and contest for political office like everyone else. Otherwise, he should stick to preaching the gospel—not partisanship.
The Church should always be a place of hope and unity—not a place of hidden political battles. What Bishop Mtumbuka is doing is not prophetic leadership—it is partisan manipulation. The Roman Catholic Church must ask itself a serious question: What happens when the people stop trusting us as neutral moral guides?
The Church is meant to be a voice of conscience—not a branch of any political movement. It should speak truth to power, yes, but with fairness and consistency. Not with selective silence when it benefits their allies and loud condemnations when it suits their politics.
When Bishop Mtumbuka politicizes sacred events like episcopal ordinations, he turns the Church into a platform for personal vendettas. That is dangerous. If left unchecked, his behavior could not only tear apart the unity of the Church but also alienate millions of faithful Catholics who belong to different political parties. The pulpit must remain sacred—not a campaign stage.
We call upon the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) to address this growing crisis. Silence from fellow bishops could be seen as endorsement. Mtumbuka’s behavior risks damaging the reputation of the entire Church, not just his own diocese.
As humble as he has always been, President Chakwera did not respond to the comments, choosing to remain calm and presidential. President Chakwera, with his silence, seemed to suggest that it is time for the Roman Catholic Church in Malawi to self-reflect. Bishops are shepherds of the people, not political kingmakers. They are called to serve all Malawians—MCP, UTM, DPP, and independents alike.
To President Chakwera, Malawians commend your humility and statesmanship. You showed up when you didn’t have to, and you remained composed even when treated with veiled disrespect.
To Bishop Mtumbuka, the time for games is over. If you support UTM, declare it publicly. If you want to join politics, do so. But do not mislead the Church under the pretense of faith. The nation is watching. The faithful are listening. And history will judge you not by the cassock you wear, but by the words that come out of your mouth.
