Dar es Salaam. The body of retired Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Polycarp Pengo, will be laid to rest on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Pugu Pilgrimage Centre on the outskirts of the city.
According to the funeral programme released by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, members of the public and the faithful will pay their last respects at Pugu from 7:00am to 9:45am, before a requiem Mass begins.
Prior to the burial, Cardinal Pengo’s body will lie in state at St Joseph’s Cathedral on Friday, February 27, from 9:00am to 04:00pm, allowing mourners to offer final tributes before the body is transferred to Pugu for the final rites.
Cardinal Pengo died on February 19, 2026, at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, where he had been receiving treatment.
Before news of his passing, Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi had indicated that the cleric might be flown abroad for specialised care.
In announcing the death, Archbishop Ruwa’ichi said burial arrangements would be communicated once preparations were complete and called on the faithful to pray for the late cardinal’s eternal rest.
He chose Pugu as his resting place
During his lifetime, Cardinal Pengo had openly expressed his wish to be buried in Pugu, saying the site held deep personal and historical significance.
“It was my wish to rest here alongside the first missionaries who brought the Gospel to our land,” he once said.
He explained that he wanted to avoid any debate about being buried in his native regions of Tunduru, Masasi or Sumbawanga.
“I came to Dar es Salaam. I belong to Dar es Salaam. I will remain here,” he said at the time.
Samia, CCM lead tributes
President Samia Suluhu Hassan led national condolences, saying she had received news of the cardinal’s death with deep sorrow.
She described him as a spiritual leader and patriot who contributed significantly to strengthening faith, moral values, unity and national cohesion through decades of service in the Catholic Church.
“The nation has lost a leader who served with integrity and dedication. His contribution to spiritual and moral formation will continue to be remembered, valued and honoured,” she said.
The President also conveyed her condolences to Archbishop Ruwa’ichi, the Tanzania Episcopal Conference, religious leaders and all believers affected by the loss, praying for the late cleric’s eternal peace.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi also sent a message of sympathy, noting that Cardinal Pengo’s 55 years in priesthood, 43 years as a bishop and 28 years as a cardinal were marked by humility, social solidarity and dedication to community welfare.
A fearless moral voice
Throughout his leadership, Cardinal Pengo built a reputation as a forthright cleric who spoke truth to power, even when his message was uncomfortable for those in authority.
In the early 2000s, as corruption scandals rocked the country, he used the pulpit to condemn graft as “a sin that cries out to God”, arguing that theft of public resources was not only illegal but morally wrong because it deprived the poor of essential services such as healthcare and education.
During general elections, he consistently urged calm and wisdom, maintaining that the Church’s role was not to endorse political parties but to offer moral guidance, promote justice and peace, and respect individual conscience.
His message was particularly evident during the constitutional review process and the 2015 General Election, when he called for fairness and restraint, helping to ease political tensions and prevent religious divisions.
Defender of family and values
Cardinal Pengo was also known for his firm defence of the family institution in line with Catholic teaching. He openly opposed what he viewed as foreign pressures that could weaken African and Christian moral foundations.
He often said that while a nation could endure economic hardship, it should never lose its dignity and moral values — a position that earned him respect among those who saw him as a guardian of ethical patriotism.
From village roots to the Vatican
Born on August 5, 1944, in Mwazye Village, Rukwa Region, Cardinal Pengo was ordained a priest on June 20, 1971. He later pursued Moral Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, earning a doctorate in 1976.
He was appointed Bishop of Nachingwea in 1983 and later served Tunduru–Masasi in 1986. In 1990 he became Coadjutor Archbishop of Dar es Salaam and was named full Archbishop in 1992.
In 1998, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the rank of cardinal, granting him membership in the College of Cardinals and the right to participate in papal conclaves in 2005 and 2013.
He retired in 2019 and was succeeded by Archbishop Ruwa’ichi.
His legacy
Cardinal Pengo’s motto, In Caritate et Veritate — “In Love and Truth” — captured the spirit of his service. He was widely regarded as a calm yet firm leader whose words carried moral weight, believing that genuine justice must be rooted in both compassion and truth.
In Tanzania’s history, the name Polycarp Cardinal Pengo will endure as a symbol of spiritual leadership that shaped not only the Church, but also society, politics and the nation’s conscience.
