The pastoral letter that has been released yesterday by the Catholic church has sent tongues wagging with some political parties claiming that the Catholic bishops have endorsed their candidate.

Malawi Congress Party sympathizers have rushed to social media to indicate that the Catholic bishops have made a reference to one Lazarus Chakwera by indicating that Malawians need to choose a God-fearing person as a leader come 2014. The MCP sympathizers have used the church background of their candidate to advance their cause.

On the other hand, the ruling Peoples’ Party through its unofficial online mouthpiece, Banthu Times, they have gone flat out to indicate that the Catholic bishops have endorsed President Mrs. Joyce Banda as the only hope for Malawi come 2014.

However, unfazed by all the pomp that greets such letters, some DPP die-hards have come out to label the letter as being ‘much ado about nothing’. According to them, the bishops could have done better than beating about the bush over such clear matters as the Cashgate scandal which, they feel, the bishops have addressed in a vague way.

Catholic bishops have been known to be instrumental in local politics especially through the Pastoral letter which started by voicing out serious concerns against the Banda government in 1993.