Born on October 8, 1957, in Kagera, Archbishop Rugambwa was ordained a priest on July 6, 1986, by the late Bishop Nestorius Timanywa of the Bukoba Diocese.
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian Catholic Church has paid tribute to the late Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, describing him as a devoted Church leader and accomplished Vatican diplomat who dedicated his life to evangelisation and fostering unity worldwide.
Archbishop Yuda Thadeus Ruwa’ichi of the Dar es Salaam Archdiocese paid tribute during a solemn requiem Mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
Archbishop Ruwa’ichi said Rugambwa’s diplomatic service had elevated the global profile of the Catholic Church in Tanzania.
“He was the first Tanzanian to be appointed as one of the Holy Father’s representatives, a Vatican ambassador to several countries,” he said, during a live broadcast solemn requiem Mass.
“Through him, the Church in Tanzania gained global recognition. We thank him for his dedicated service, and we pray that God may forgive his human shortcomings,” he added.
Furthermore, Archbishop Ruwa’ichi said the late archbishop had done much for his country, particularly by bringing sisters of the Mother Maria organisation from Japan and South Korea to assist the poor.
He said sisters established a girls’ school at Makurunge, where more than 1,000 girls from all regions of Tanzania are educated free of charge, provided they come from poor families. “Therefore, we are very grateful for his support.”
According to him, the sisters have also built another school in Dodoma for boys from across the country, aiming to equip them with various skills.
Archbishop Ruwa’ichi also used the occasion to caution Tanzanians against normalising death, saying becoming desensitised to it could erode the value of human life.
“If we get used to death, we become strange beings. One might even reach a point of killing another person jokingly, as if slaughtering a goat,” cautioned the Archbishop.
He reminded the faithful that death should remain a mystery and a sacred passage, not something treated with casual acceptance.
“Our faith should comfort us in moments of grief, just as it did for the apostles. Let us not allow death to become something ordinary. Let us honour life,” he said.
The body of Archbishop Rugambwa arrived in Tanzania on Friday, September 26, from Rome, Italy, where he passed away while undergoing treatment on the night of September 16.
He will be laid to rest on Monday, September 29, 2025, at the Cathedral in Bukoba, Kagera Region, his place of birth and spiritual foundation.
Born on October 8, 1957, in Kagera, Archbishop Rugambwa was ordained a priest on July 6, 1986, by the late Bishop Nestorius Timanywa of the Bukoba Diocese.
He joined the Vatican’s diplomatic service in 1991 and served in several countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific.
His roles included Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Apostolic Nuncio to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, Honduras, New Zealand, and later as Nuncio to the Federated States of Micronesia and several Pacific Island nations, including Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, and Palau.
He was consecrated Archbishop on March 18, 2010, by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, then Vatican Secretary of State.
Archbishop Rugambwa was widely respected for his diplomatic skill, humility, and commitment to building peace and pastoral care in often challenging environments.
His passing marks the end of a decades‑long journey of service to the Church and humanity.
In his final message, Archbishop Ruwa’ichi urged Tanzanians to preserve the sacredness of life and carry forward Rugambwa’s legacy.
“Let us not only mourn him but also honour what he stood for. Let us not normalise death. Let us treasure life. That is what he did, and that is the legacy he leaves us,” he said.
