Cardinal Pengo: ‘Maintain unity, avoid tribalism in Tanzania’

Dar es Salaam. The archbishop of Dar es Salaam, Cardinal Polycarp Pengo has reiterated the need to uphold the country’s unity and avoid tribalism.  

Cardinal Pengo made this call on Sunday, in Sumbawanga, Rukwa Region during the installation of Fr Beatus Christian Urassa who becomes the new bishop of the Diocese of Sumbawanga.

Fr Urassa was appointed by Pope Francis in April this year to succeed Bishop Damian Kyaruzi who has retired.

Preaching during the coronation, Cardinal Pengo told the newly bishop that the church was united by the blood of Jesus and not tribes of the bishops leading the church.

“Bishops entrusted to lead the church in Tanzania should remind each other that we are obliged to put emphasis on the need to maintain the country’s unity. Blood from a leader coming from any tribe shouldn’t be allowed to disrupt the country’s unity,” he said during a live broadcast event.

Cardinal Pengo, cautioned the newly installed bishop from making efforts to hide his tribe, noting that having known that he was a Chaga, his tribe had nothing to do with liberation of the people because Christians were united by blood of Jesus Christ.

The newly installed bishop Urassa was born on August 2, 1965 in Keni Village in Mashati, Rombo District, Kilimanjaro Region.

Apart from Cardinal Pengo, the coronation was attended by other bishops including Paul Ruzoka, Damian Kyaruzi and the Holy See representative to Tanzania Archbishop Marek Solczyński.

Others bishops were Titus Mdoe, Eusebius Nzigilwa, Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa, Juda Thadeus Ruwaichi, Telesphore Mkude, Severine Niwemugizi, Methodius Kilaini, Ludovick Minde and Liberatus Sangu.