TANZANIA: Allegations that the Catholic Church favours three governments are baseless – Cardinal Pengo

H.E. Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, the Archbishop of Dar es
Salaam, has refuted allegations that the Catholic Church supports three
Governments system of governance as detailed in the New Draft Constitution. 

 

Some media outlets in the country misconstrued a statement
by the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) – Commission for Justice and Peace –
on draft Constitution as the position of the Catholic Church in Tanzania on the
New Constitution Draft.

 

Cardinal Pengo said the Church is a community of people with
different views on civic matters.

 

“Each Catholic as a Tanzanian has the right to express
own views on constitutional structure of the government, but there is no
official position of the Catholic Church in Tanzania on the matter. Otherwise
we will be dividing our faithful who hold different position,” he said.

 

The Church has its procedures that should be followed and
that the official statements are given out through the Tanzania Episcopal
Conference (TEC) Secretary General. 

 

“There are Catholics who prefer one government, others two, and still others three. All of them are our
Catholics.  Saying the position of the
Church is supporting the three government then what about our Catholics who support
one or two governments system?” he wondered. 

 

Cardinal Pengo said the church has a responsibility of
providing a position on only matters of Faith and Morals. 

 

“Had it happened that in the New constitution draft there
are some phrases legalizing same sex marriage, or abortion and deny the
existence of God then clearly the Church will come up strongly to give up its
position,” he said.