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Coordinator of 2019 Papal Visit in Mozambique Appointed Bishop of Country's Pemba Diocese

Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo, appointed Bishop of Mozambique's Pemba Diocese by Pope Francis on 08 March 2022. Credit: ACI Africa

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo who coordinated the Papal visit in Mozambique in 2019 as the Local Ordinary of the country’s Pemba Diocese.

The appointment of Bishop Juliasse who has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of the Mozambican Diocese and Auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Maputo was published by the Holy See Press office on Tuesday, March 8.

The Diocese of Pemba has been vacant since February 2021 following the transfer of Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa to the Brazilian Diocese of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim.

The Mozambican Bishop who will turn 54 on March 20 was ordained a Priest on 14 May 1989 and a Bishop on 17 February 2019. He was assigned the Titular See of Arsennaria.

Prior to his Episcopal Ordination as Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo Archdiocese, he studied Dogmatic Theology at the Catholic University of Portugal, Anthropology at the New University of Lisbon, and African Studies at the University Institute of Lisbon, which he completed in 2009.

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After his studies in Portugal, he returned to Mozambique and served as Parish Priest of São Paulo and São Jerônimo in Soalpo between 2010 and 2014.

He also served as member of the Presbyteral Council of Maputo Archdiocese as well as Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Culture.

In recent times, Bishop Juliasse has been vocal on the ongoing violent conflict in Cabo Delgado Province. In a March 9 2021 report, he expressed solidarity with the people of God affected by Mozambique’s Palma attack that left dozens of foreigners and locals killed.

He called for an immediate end to violence in the Southern African nation saying, “God show us another way; not the way of violence; not the way of cruelty, but the way of love, of fraternity.”

In a June 2021 report, the Mozambican Bishop urged charity groups and authorities giving aid to displaced people who have settled in the provincial capital not to discriminate against the local community.

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“The interventions must integrate aspects of good coexistence between the displaced and the local population. The aid should not go only to the displaced, totally ignoring the local population,” Bishop Juliasse said.

He advocated for equitable sharing of resources as the way forward in handling animosity between local communities and people who have fled the violent conflict.

“It is necessary for people to share utilities if they are to stay together without any conflict. Resources from land, building materials for houses to basic necessities need to be shared,” the Mozambican Bishop said.

Once installed as Local Ordinary of Pemba Diocese, Bishop Juliasse will oversee the 82,625 square-kilometer Catholic Diocese that was erected in April 1957, and with a population of 695,289 Catholics, according to 2019 statistics.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.