TANZANIA: Bishop Pisa Installed New Bishop of Lindi
Bishop Wolfgang Pisa OFM CaP, ordination celebration held at Ilulu Stadium, Lindi.
Pascal Mwanache
Thousands of the faithful and people of good will in the Catholic Diocese of Lindi have witnessed the episcopal ordination and installation of Bishop Wolfgang Pisa OFM CaP, a celebration held at Ilulu Stadium, Lindi.
Delivering a homily on the occasion, the Archbishop of Dodoma Archdiocese Most Rev. Beatus Kinyaiya OFM CaP said the faithful in Lindi are lucky to have a new bishop soon after Bishop Bruno Ngonyani’s retirement.
“There are dioceses here in Tanzania that since the departure of the bishop are still waiting for another bishop. For you it has been different, Bishop Bruno is retiring and while the chair is still hot you find a successor, congratulations”.
Archbishop Kinyaiya also told Bishop Pisa that one of the challenges before him is how to help the sheep entrusted to him to identify the right pasture, especially nowadays when there are many preachers who play on people’s emotions for their own benefits.
“Many of these preachers are playing on people’s emotions. Listen to the radio, watch the TV and you’ll hear the preachers say come and get healed, come pray you’ll be rich, you’ll buy a car and a house. As a result people are moving around, looking for a pastor who will bring them a car without a job.”
“As a result, we are creating a nation of lazy people who are chasing after miracles, this is completely irrational. Teach the basics, the things that these preachers do not touch such prayer and the Sacraments, teach that. Remind people of the importance of the cross in their lives, not to run the cross but to carry it with Christ,” he explained.
Bishop Kinyaiya mentioned another challenge that Bishop Pisa will face as groups that he will not see in public, but are doing their job on the ground, groups that are given enough money to teach young people and school children about homosexuality and abortion practices.
“You will hear people being told to do things contrary to nature, contrary to our African cultures. Children are taught to love homosexuality, to have abortions. And there are people, a certain group that will pass by seeking opinions because they want to send those ideas to the East African Parliament to pass so that it can be accepted in our countries and taught in schools to do what they want, refuse. Tell them that this is an abomination to God and a sin,” he insisted.
On his side the Prime Minister of Tanzania Kassim Majaliwa congratulated Bishop Pisa and called on the people of Lindi to co-operate with him.
“We, people of Lindi, and nearby regions have hopes on you. I want to assure you that we are together, you are in a safe place.”
Giving a word of thanks at the celebration, Bishop Pisa thanked all the people who made the journey of life and his call successful until the installation as the Bishop of Lindi, along with the Lindi faithful for the preparation.
He has used the opportunity to announce the Apostolic motto that will guide the apostolic activities in the diocese which is ‘I am thirsty’.
“I have chosen very short words like ‘motto’ that we will use for our mission, which is one of the seven words that Jesus said on the cross, I take the fifth word” I am thirsty “. Why did I take those words, Jesus’ thirst to die on the cross was to redeem us human beings, so I, as a pastor, I must have thirst to find and protect those in the fold but even those outside the fold,” he said.
