Catholic Church in Malawi
Catholic Church in Malawi — The Catholic Church in Malawi is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome and the Malawi bishops.
History
The first Catholic missionaries were White Fathers (Pères Blancs in French) who arrived in Malawi in 1889. By 1904, the White Fathers had three permanent mission stations at Kachebere, Likuni, and Mua, and the Montforts had two missions, at Nguludi and Nzama. Most of the White Fathers were French and, among the early leaders, were Bishops Louis Auneau, Joseph Dupont, and Mathurin Guillemé. It was not until 1937-38 that the first Malawi priests were ordained: Cornelio Chitsulo, Alfred Finye.[1]
21st century
As of 2025, Malawi is a Christian country, with 79% of the population having a Christian background; more than 41% of the population is Catholic.[2]
There are 2 archdioceses and 6 dioceses:
- Archdiocese of Blantyre
- Diocese of Chikwawa
- Diocese of Mangochi
- Diocese of Zomba
- Archdiocese of Lilongwe
- Diocese of Dedza
- Diocese of Karonga
- Diocese of Mzuzu
In 2020 there were 645 priests and over 1,000 nuns serving 207 parishes.[3]
On June 5, 2023, Archbishop Gian Luca Perici was named as the Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi by Pope Francis.[4]
See also
- Christianity in Malawi
- List of Catholic dioceses in Malawi
- List of Christian denominations in Malawi
References
- Back to citation Historical Dictionary of Malawi - Ihe International Monetary Fund - Page 298 Sarah Tenney, Norman K. Humphreys - 2011 - "In 1889, the White Fathers order became the first Roman Catholic missionary group to...
- Back to citation World Religion Database at the ARDA website, 2025-10-24
- Back to citation Catholics And Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08
- Back to citation Catholic Hierarchy, retrieved 2025-10-24