TANZANIA_ Most Rev. Rugambwa Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Tabora

Pascal Mwanache

Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Protase Rugambwa, former Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization at the Vatican, as Coadjutor Archbishop of Tanzania’s Tabora Archdiocese

In a statement issued by the Secretary General of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Rev. Fr. Charles Kitima, the Church in Tanzania is grateful for the evangelization mission of Archbishop Rugambwa.

Most Rev. Rugambwa was born on May 31, 1960 at Bunena, in the Diocese of Bukoba. After his primary and secondary schools in various minor seminaries in Katoke, Itaga, he joined Kibosho Senior Seminary and St. Charles Lwanga Segerea Senior Seminary for philosophical and theological studies respectively. He was ordained a priest on 2nd September 1990 in Dar-es-Salaam by Saint John Paul II during his pastoral visit to Tanzania.

After his ordination, he held the following offices: 1990-1991: parish vicar in the parish of Mabira; 1991-1994: teacher in the Minor Seminary of Katoke, in-charge of Liturgy and a Chaplain of Biharamulo Hospital.

In 1994-1998 he studied Pastoral Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, after which he was awarded a doctoral degree. Upon returning to his home diocese, he served as formator, vocations director, Secretary of the Pastoral department and finally as Vicar General of Rulenge Diocese.

In 2002-2008, he was appointed to work in the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome. On 18 January 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of Kigoma which is under the Ecclesiastical Province of Tabora in Tanzania and he was consecrated bishop of Kigoma on 13th April 2008.

On 26 June 2012, he was appointed Adjunct Secretary of the same Dicastery and President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, with the personal title of archbishop. On 9 November 2017 he was appointed Secretary of the same Congregation.