AMECEA: Conferences Join the World in the Canonizations of two Great Saints

Pope John Paul II

AMECEA
Member Countries are joining the world in the celebrations of the Canonizations
of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II on Sunday 27th April, 2014, at St
Peter’s Square in the Vatican, Rome.   

Information
received from various conferences in the region said hundreds of Pilgrims led
by Bishops from AMECEA member Countries have travelled to Rome to witness
the historic event.

Thanks
to Pope John Paul II who is well known to many people in the region because of
the number of visits he made during his Pontificate. 

From
Eritrea AMECEA got information that the Bishop of Asmara, Abune
Menghisteab Tesfamariam, M.C.C.I. has travelled to Rome to witness the event.

From
Kenya, a delegation, consisting of
Bishops, clergy, Religious and hundreds of Lay faithful led by H.E. John Cardinal
Njue have travelled to Rome for the same occasion. Kenya was the first AMECEA country to
be visited by Pope John Paul II, where he made a total of three visits. His
first visit was from 6th – 8th May 1980. The Second Visit
was from 16th -19th August 1985, during the celebrations of
the 43rd International Eucharistic Congress which took place in
Nairobi. While the third visit was from 18th -20th
September 1995, during which he marked the conclusion of the First Special
Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops and promulgated the Apostolic
Letter Ecclesia in Africa, the Church
in Africa.

From
the Conference of Malawi, AMECEA was informed that, Archbishop
of Lilongwe Tarcisio Ziyaye, who is also AMECEA Chairman, together with members of clergy and 20 Malawian Lay
people are already in Rome to witness to the event. Pope John Paul II visited
Malawi from 4th -6th May 1989 and he managed to visit the
Dioceses of Lilongwe and Blantyre. 

From
the Uganda, AMECEA Online News was informed that a delegation of 200
people consisting of the Clergy, Religious and Lay people led by Most John
Baptist Odama, the Archbishop of Gulu and the chairman of the conference by have
made the pilgrimage to Rome for the occasion. Archbishop Odama is accompanied
by the Archbishop of Kampala Most Rev Cyprian Kizito Lwanga. Pope John Paul II
Visited Uganda from 5th – 9th February 1993. While in the
country, on 7th February he elevated the Shrine of Uganda Martyrs to
the status of a Minor Basilica. 

On
the same day he blessed the sick at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya saying “With
joy and affection I greet you, the sick and disabled of Uganda, and invoke upon
you the grace and mercy of God our Father. With this Message, which I entrust
to Bishop Henry Ssentongo, President of the Medical Bureau of the Uganda
Episcopal Conference, it is my desire to embrace all of you who are living the
mystery of human suffering in this beloved African nation.” On 8th
February he visited Kasese Diocese and led the Eucharistic celebrations while
on 9th he went to Soroti for Eucharistic Celebrations before leaving
the country.

Pope John Paul II is Welcomed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by the president of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi (left) upon his arrival during his first visit to the country in 1980

Information received from
Tanzania Episcopal Conference, said H.E. Polycarp Cardinal Pengo has led a delegation to
Rome for the celebrations. Cardinal Pengo is accompanied by Rt Rev Agapiti
Ndorobo, Bishop of Mahenge, who is already in Rome for the event. The Conference has organized pilgrimages to the
places visited by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Country in 1990. In
the Metropolitan of Mwanza, the Bishops will be at Kawekamo (the place where Pope John Paul II celebrate
Mass) with the pilgrims to celebrate the event. There, the faithful
gathered will have an advantage of having a “Live TV Coverage” of the Canonization from the Vatican. 

Pope
John Paul II visited Tanzania from 1st -5th September
1990. On 2nd September he presided over the priestly ordination at
Jangwani grounds in Dar-es-Salaam. Then on 3rd September, he
conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation at Ruhuwiko grounds in Songea Archdiocese
and on the same day he traveled to Mwanza.  On 4th September he celebrated the
Liturgy of the Word at Ali Hassan Mwinyi Stadium in Tabora Archdiocese. On the
same day he addressed faithful gathered in the Cathedral of Christ the King in
Moshi Diocese. On 5th he celebrated Holy Mass at the Stadium in Moshi before
leaving the country.

From
Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference AMECEA was information that H.E.
Gabriel Cardinal  Zubeir Wako has travelled to Rome to witness the Occasion.
Together with him is the Emeritus
Bishop of Torit (South Sudan) Rt Rev Paride Taban. Bishop Taban said he is
going there to pray and ask for the intercession of the two Saints to solve
the crisis of South Sudan. Bishop Taban said God’s intervention and miracle is
necessary for the country to achieve peace. 

Bishop Taban said the South Sudanese should use the event and Easter celebrations to repent and forgive one another for all the past and
present offences against one another. The Bishop Emeritus, who is a Peace Prize
Winner, said after attending the canonization he will proceed to Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia to participate in the talks for peace agreement in South Sudan. 

Pope
John Paul II visited Khartoum, Sudan on 10th February 1993 and led
the Eucharistic Celebrations at the Green Square Khartoum in honor of Blessed
Josephine Bakhita. He left the country on the same day.

From
Zambia Episcopal Conference AMECEA was informed that a delegation, led by bishops has also gone to Rome
for the celebrations. Pope John Paul II visited Zambia from 2nd – 4th
May 1989 and managed to visit two dioceses, the Archdiocese of Lusaka and the
Diocese of Ndola. 

During
his reign, Pope John Paul II (“The Pilgrim Pope”) made 104 foreign
trips, more than all previous Popes combined.