Tanzanian Cleric Who “quit” Priestly Ministry to Run for Political Office Suspended

“Thus, I suspend him from providing priestly services in my Catholic Diocese of Bukoba and wherever he may be,” Bishop Rwoma has declared in the July 24 letter, basing his decision on Canon Law 285.3, which bars Clerics from running for and occupying political positions.

In the letter copied to TEC Secretary General, Fr. Charles Kitima, Bishop Rwoma further directs that Fr. Ildephonce “not be given asylum in the residence of priests and nuns.”

“Pray for the grace to enable him to make sacred reflections that will ultimately help him one day return and be one with us under Christ our Great Shepherd,” Bishop Rwoma concludes.

Fr. Ildephonce is reportedly among 52 candidates who sought nomination for the Nkenge Constituency Assembly ticket on  Tanzania’s ruling party, “Chama Cha Mapinduzi” (CCM) toward the general elections set for October 28.

According to a local media report, he got zero votes during the party primaries held on July 11.

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The Tanzanian Cleric joins his counterpart Fr. Charles Onen from neighboring Uganda who is, according to Uganda’s Daily Monitor, among the four candidates contesting for the Gulu East parliamentary seat in the 2021 general elections

In 2006, the  Local Ordinary of Ugadan’s Catholic Diocese of Kotido suspended Fr. Simon Lokodo from active Priestly ministry after he vied for the parliamentary seat in Dodoth County.

Similar fate befell Fr. Jacinto Ogwal who was suspended by the leadership of Uganda’s Lira Diocese in 2011 after he expressed interest in vying for the parliamentary seat in Otuke.