Catholic Bishop in Tanzania Cautions Youths against Rushed Courtships, Online Encounters, Urges Knowing Process

He continued, “The wife does not know how to cook, wash dishes, or do laundry; she spends all her time in the salon getting makeup done. She wants to hire a housemaid to do the work she should be doing for her husband, and in the end, the marriage falls apart.”

The Tanzanian Catholic Church leader encouraged young people to prepare well for marriage, and seek God’s guidance during courtship, saying, “Let us learn from Saint Joseph to pray before getting into a relationship; this is a crucial prayer—pray and ask God for guidance.”

“Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral,” he said. 

Bishop Rweyongeza who has been at the helm of Kayanga Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in November 2008 acknowledged the fact that marriages are characterized with challenges, 

He called upon married couples to face challenges with perseverance, emulating St. Joseph, who he said “was patient in dealing with challenges.”

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“Today we hear of parents abandoning their families due to various challenges, including economic struggles, jealousy, infidelity, extramarital affairs, and even witchcraft,” the 69-year-old Bishop said, adding, “Life without challenges does not make a person mature.”

He reminded male spouses of their role in the family and urged them to look to St. Joseph for inspiration having embraced the virtues of patience and humility.

“Today, St. Joseph calls upon fathers to be exemplary in caring for and nurturing their families. They must be patient because patience and perseverance can move mountains,” said Bishop Rweyongeza in his March 19 homily.

He explained, “being a guardian means caring for family members, spouses protecting each other, parents raising and nurturing their children, and children later taking care of their parents.”

Addressing himself to the Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of Bukoba Diocese, Bishop Rweyongeza said, “I invite our Bishop Kilaini to continue proclaiming, so that we may come out of the darkness of falsehood and hatred, the darkness of deception and oppression, and live in the light of justice, love, and peace.”

Bishop Kilaini retired in January 2024. He had started his Episcopal ministry in March 2000 as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania following his appointment in December 1999.