Lilongwe, 03 August, 2022 / 9:28 pm (ACI Africa).
The Local Ordinary of Lilongwe Archdiocese in Malawi has cautioned against “mushrooming” social media platforms that bear the name “Catholic” and are used for malpractices, including defamatory posts and unorthodox soliciting of funds.
Archbishop George Desmond Tambala who was presiding over the launching of the Archdiocesan Day of the Laity and the 2022-2023 Archdiocesan Mini Synod under the theme, “Discerning with the Holy Spirit” on July 30 called for responsible engagement with contemporary means of communication.
“We have noted the mushrooming of so many WhatsApp and Facebook pages and groups bearing the name Catholic,” Archbishop Tambala said during the event held at Our Lady Queen of Africa Maula Cathedral of his Metropolitan See.
In his July 30 message that the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) published on Facebook on Monday, August 1, the Malawian Archbishop expressed his concern about social media malpractice.
“Much as we appreciate the desire to share Good News and other beneficial teachings of the Church, we have noted that some (social media groups/pages) have turned these initiatives into gossip zones whose main agenda is to destroy each other’s character and reputation,” the member of the Religious Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCD) said.