TANZANIA: Catholic Priest Killed by a Person Suspected to Have Mental Disorder
Rev. Fr. Pamphili Nada
Sarah Pelaji
A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Pamphili Nada, has been killed by a man believed to have mental health problem, however, after the man known as Romani Leonard (30) committed the murder, he was killed by angry citizens.
The bishop of Mbulu Catholic Diocese Rt. Rev Anthony Lagwen has announced the death of Fr Nada explaining that until his death, Fr. Nada was a parish priest of Karatu Parish in Arusha region in Mbulu Diocese located in the Northern part of Tanzania. He was killed on July 19th, at 3 AM after being hit with a heavy ironic object by a person believed to have mental health problems who forced him to enter the church allegedly to pray.
Arusha Regional Chief Commander, Justine Masejo confirmed the incident. “The priest died while being taken to the hospital and the suspect was killed by angry citizens after receiving information about the incident,” he said.
One of the witnesses Rehema Baha, a resident of Karatu; has explained how the incident happened. The man came around the church at 1.00AM trying to force himself to enter the church to pray, but he was unsuccessful after the security guards stopped him since it wasn’t the proper hour to open the church gate.
The man insisted while shouting at the guard. The parish priest Fr. Nada heard the shouting and came out to ask the man to go and come back at 6 am.
The man went but after sometimes he came back at 3 AM while shouting and quarreling the guard that he wants to enter the church to pray.
Fr. Nada again came out to stop the quarreling while insisting the man to go but the man continued to shout ‘I want to pray in the Church.’
This is when Fr Nada requested the guard to open the gate for him, and thereafter Fr. Nada opened the church for him.
Benigna Francis a journalist of Mbulu Diocese says, “After he entered (the church) and was only with the priest, the man locked the door and he took the iron object which was kept behind the door to protect the door from banging to the wall and hit the priest who was going to the alter.
The guard heard the shouting of the priest and rushed to the church but doors were locked inside, he rushed to ring the church bell while shouting and citizen gathered, broke the door and found the man continuing to bit the priest. They held him outside the church gate and started beating the man and causing his death.
Fr. Nada passed on when he was being rushed to the hospital,” he claimed.
Peter Yohana says that they know the man is from Gekum Village and has been in Karatu for some time now.
This is the third incident this year by persons suspected to have mental health problem. The first was the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace of Geita Catholic Diocese on the 26th February 2023, where a person who was suspected to have mental health problems destroyed the sacramentals including the tabernacle and the Blessed Sacrament.
The second incident happened on May 11, 2023 where unknown man broke the main door of The Cathedral St. Carol Lwanga of Kahama Diocese. The guards managed to catch him before he could do more harm.
