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Tanzanian Archdiocese Seeks Information for First President’s Canonization

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the founding President of Tanzania. Credit: Vatican News

The Catholic Church in Tanzania is seeking information about the life and heroic virtues of the Servant of God Julius Kambarage Nyerere to proceed with his cause of beatification and canonization. 

Pope Benedict XVI declared Tanzania’s first president Servant of God on 13 May 2005.

In an edict shared with ACI Africa Tuesday, November 15 Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Ruwa’ichi of Dar-es-Salaam invited Tanzanians to send information, “both favorable and unfavorable” to the body tasked with overseeing the course of the Servant of God Nyerere. 

 “We invite all the faithful to communicate to us directly or to send to the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, any information - both favorable or unfavorable - regarding the life and heroic virtues of the Servant of God as a Catholic lay faithful and father of a family, as well as his reputation for holiness and intercessory power,” Archbishop Ruwa’ichi said.

The Archbishop said that those who are in possession of any writings attributed to the Servant of God should “carefully send” them to the Diocesan Tribunal for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God.

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Also to be sent to the tribunal is any document authored by the Servant of God that has not already been entrusted to the Postulator of the Cause.

Archbishop Ruwa’ichi explained that the word ‘writings’ is not to be understood only of printed works, which have already been gathered, but also manuscripts, diaries, letters, and private writings that may reveal the spiritual life of the Servant of God.

“Those who want to keep the original can present a duly authenticated copy,” said the Local Ordinary of Dar-es-Salaam.

Nyerere’s cause for canonization was started in 2005 when the late  Bishop Justin Samba of the Diocese of Musoma and Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) requested the Holy See to declare him a saint.

Musoma Diocese later requested TEC and Dar-es-Salaam Archdiocese to take over the process. On 2 May 2014, the Congregation for Causes of Saints issued a rescript that canonically permitted the competent forum for the Diocesan Inquiry on the Tanzanian Servant of God from Musoma to Dar-es-Salaam.

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Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.