Malawi Catholic Bishop Kanyama of Dedza diocese dies

Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) on Saturday announced the passing on of Bishop Dr Emmanuel Kanyama of Dedza Diocese.

ECM Secretary General Fr. Henry Saindi said in a brief statement made available to Nyasa Times that Kanyama passed on at his home, Kapiri, in Mchinji. He did not disclose the cause of death but other sources said he succumbed to diabetes.

Kanyama’s body was taken to Likuni Catholic Hospital mortuary Saturday afternoon. The body would later be taken to Bembeke Catholic Cathedral before burial on the day ECM was expected to announce.

On Sunday, February 18, 2018, Archbishop Tarcizio Ziyaye of Lilongwe Archdiocese would be expected to preside over requiem mass praying for the repose of the late bishop at Likuni parish from 16: 30 hours.

At their recent plenary on February 2, 2018, the Catholic bishops elected the late Kanyama as Bishop Chairman for Ecumenism and Interfaith Dialogue and also for Social Communications and Research Commission.

Kanyama celebrated his silver jubilee on August 8 2015 as he also ordained three priests at St. Martin de Porres parish in the diocese. The three priests were Abraham Paul, Kondwani Pinji and Juliano Absalom. Fr. Absalom died on January 19, 2018 at Deyang Luke hospital in Lilongwe in a motorcycle accident in Mtakataka.

Kanyama was born on December 25, 1962. His father came from Kanyama village in the area of Chief Kasumbu, in Dedza district while his mother from Kapiri in Mchinji.

He completed his philosophy studies at Kachebere Major Seminary in 1986 before going to St. Peters Theology Seminary.

In 1992 he went to Rome where obtained a doctorate degree in Philosophy. He was ordained bishop of Dedza Diocese on October 6, 2007 at Bembeke Cathedral.

One of his former students at Kachebere Major Seminary Patrick Botha wrote on Department of Information social forum: “He [Bishop Kanyama] used to remind us during Rector’s talk of the need to work hard and give our best with what little time we have. He would say ‘Some of us have sugar…and every day the clock is tickling’.”

Botha said Kanyama was named Zinc because he always got distinctions in his studies starting from St Kizito Minor Seminary.

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