TANZANIA: Bishops Insist on Repentance, Family Formation During Lent
Rt. Rev. Christopher Ndizeye
By Sarah Pelaji
The Catholic Church in Tanzania has celebrated Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the Lenten season for Christians worldwide.
Several Catholic Bishops from different dioceses in Tanzania have insisted that their faithful observe prayer, fasting, and doing works of mercy during the 40 days fast. However, they have emphasized building a just society and helping the needy.
The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam Yuda Thaddeus Ruwa’ichi OFM CaP insisted Catholics on reconciliation among themselves and with God by fasting, repenting as well as caring for the needy.
He said this when he was presiding the Ash Wednesday Holy Mass held at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Dar es Salaam.
“Repentance is translated into sacrifice. Let’s deny ourselves by remembering the sick, orphans, prisoners and anyone who is in any kind of life so that they feel relief, comfort, love and compassion through our self-denial. However, let me stress that, when doing charitable deeds do not call media to publicize your acts of compassion that you provide to the needy. When you give your sacrifice, let it be the secret between you and God. The Catholic Faith do not need drummer,” he emphasized.
The Bishop of Morogoro Catholic Diocese Rt. Rev. Lazarus Msimbe S.D.S. has requested the believers in the country during this Lent period to build a society with equality, love and unity. He said this in the celebration of the Holy Mass of Ash Wednesday held in the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Morogoro located in the Central of Tanzania.
Repentance is an inner act of a person; it is a spiritual act. During this Lent we have to tear our hearts to build a balanced society full of love, brotherhood and unity.
He also warned show of during performing the Act of mercy by inviting people and media to publicize. “We want to make those in needy happy while reducing gaps between we who are strong and those who are weak. This is how we create equal and just society,” he insisted.
The Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Rt. Rev. Stephano Musomba OSA led the celebration of the Ash Wednesday Holy Mass in the Parish of St. Peter Claver Mbezi Louis in Dar es Salaam emphasizing on family formation. He asked them to believe in using the Lent period to be responsible in the family, especially to allocate time to spend with children and youth in order to raise them in morals.
Bishop Musomba has emphasized families to become houses of prayer and a small church. He has insisted parents to reflect on the behavior of young people who rush to jogging on Saturdays and Sundays for it is a diverging attending Small Christian community prayers on Saturday and Holly Mass on Sundays.
“Parents you have diverged your responsibilities to nurturing your children. You don’t talk to youth thus they get wrong formation from the society through technology.
That’s why today there are gays who demand for their justice and parents stand by them. This is very wrong.
On his part, the Bishop of Kahama Catholic Diocese Rt. Rev. Christopher Ndizeye,has called on the faithful to stop fasting as a habit during Lent, but to make real changes. He said this when he was leading the Holy Mass of Ash Wednesday in the Cathedral of St. Karoli Lwanga in Kahama.
He has explained that fasting for Lent is denying ourselves the good things we have, giving up actions that are against God’s will, praying, and helping those in needy. He insisted of total denial of oneself in luxurious life and sins to embrace lent graces. In addition, their fasting should be accompanied by personal, family and community intentions.
Leading the Ash Wednesday Holy Mass at the Sacred Heart Church, Kihesa Parish, The Bishop of Iringa Catholic Diocese Rt. Rev. Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa has also insisted believers on total and true repentance. He has urged the believers to evangelize themselves with the Word of God, doing good deeds, be generous to the needy by denying themselves good things to comfort others who are most in needy.
“Let us build spiritual discipline so that we can announce the victory of Christ by improving our lives so that we can live a new life of spiritual victory, that is Easter,” he said.
