TANZANIA: TEC Bishops Left the Country for ‘Ad Limina Visit’

The
Catholic Bishops of Tanzania have left the country on Tuesday 1st
April 2014 for Ad Limina Visit in Rome that will end on the 8th
April 2014.

The Ad Limina visit means,
technically, the obligation incumbent on certain members of the hierarchy of
visiting, at stated times, the “thresholds of the Apostles”, Sts
Peter and Paul, and of presenting themselves before the Pope to give an
account of the state of their dioceses.

The object of the visit is
not merely to make a pilgrimage to the tombs of the apostles, but, above all,
to show the proper reverence for the Successor of St. Peter, to acknowledge
practically his universal jurisdiction by giving an account of the condition
of particular churches, to receive his admonitions and counsels, and thus
bind more closely the members of the Church to its Divinely appointed head.

Rt. Rev. Tarcisius
Ngalalekumtwa

According
to the President of the Tanzania Episcopal Council Rt. Rev. Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa,
Bishop of Iringa Diocese, their visit to the Vatican recaptures the scene of
St. Paul when he was called Saul, on his way to Damascus when he was converted.

“We
are going to meet with the Chair of St. Peter that is currently occupied by Pope
Francis and as usual every five years bishops are supposed to go to Rome so
that the Pope can meet with the heads of local church,” he explained.

He
also mentioned some of the pontifical Commissions they are scheduled to visit
while at the Vatican, which includes Propagation of Faith (Propaganda Fide), the Commission for Dialogue, Commission for the
Families, and Commission for Interreligious Dialogue among others.

“Leaders
and Heads of various departments will also hold talks with the Bishops on Evangelization,
Christian formation, vocations in the Church and the Pontifical Missionary
Societies (PMS) among others,” he said.

The
President added that apart from meeting with the Pope and some heads of the Departments
at the Vatican, the Bishops will have time to pray at the tombs of the first Christians
martyrs who were persecuted for their faith.

“Each
Bishop will have the opportunity to meet with the Holy Father so that he may
express and explain his state. Apart from that we will have the opportunity to
celebrate the Holy Mass with the Holy Father as a sign of showing brotherhood
and unity as Bishops of the Catholic Church in Tanzania,” he said.

Bishop
Ngalalekumtwa explained that The Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, H.E. Polycarp Cardinal
Pengo has not joined them on the pilgrimage and instead he is represented by Bishop
Eusebius Alfred Nzigilwa, Auxiliary of Dar-es-Salaam.

The
last time Tanzania Episcopal Conference held ‘Ad Limina Visit’ was in 2005,
when Blessed John Paul II was admitted at the Gemelli Hospital. They were last
group of Bishops to meet with Pope John Paul II before he passed away on the 2nd
April 2005.

Information
received from the Vatican said Nine prelates of the Episcopal Conference of
Tanzania, had an audience with the Holy Father on the 4th April,
2014: These are

–
Bishop Gervas John Mwasikwabhila
Nyaisonga of Dodoma;

–
Bishop Salutaris Melchior Libena of Ifakara;

–
Bishop Agapiti Ndorobo of Mahenge;

–
Bishop Telesphor Mkude of Morogoro;

–
Bishop Augustine Ndeliakyama Shao, C.S.Sp., of Zanzibar;

–
Archbishop Paul R. Ruzoka of Tabora, Apostolic Administrator of Kigoma;

–
Bishop Ludovick Joseph Minde, O.S.S., of Kahama;

–
Bishop Damian Kyaruzi of Sumbawanga, Apostolic Administrator of Mpanda;

–
Bishop Eusebius Alfred Nzigilwa, Auxiliary of Dar-es-Salaam.

Other
Bishops will have their turn in some coming days. Tanzania Episcopal Conference
has 34 Dioceses.

SOURCE:
TEC Communications Department and AMECEA Social Communications