President pushes for peace and love

DAILY NEWS Reporter

PRESIDENT John Pombe Magufuli (second row second left) and his wife, Janeth (left) in a congregation of Christian worshipers at a special Day of the Lord Sunday mass at Saint Albans Church in Dar es Salaam yesterday. (Photo by State House)

PRESIDENT John Magufuli has pleaded to all churches, religions and political parties to embrace love among themselves for the sake of fostering the nation’s development.

President Magufuli made the plea yesterday in Dar es Salaam when attending a mass at St Alban’s Anglican church in Dar Es Salaam.

Accompanied by First Lady Janeth Magufuli, he joined hundreds of worshipers during Sunday’s service at the church. Dr Magufuli thanked the Anglican church and other religions for continuing to pray for the nation and maintaining peace and tranquillity.

“I am very grateful because you are continuing to pray for this nation. I thank you because you have always been kneeling down before God, praying for peace and love among us,” he said.

He praised religious leaders, saying that they do a great job in the country and that all Tanzanians, regardless of their religious disparities or political affiliations, have a duty to support the clerics so that their good intentions continue to succeed.

During the mass, President Magufuli donated 1m/- to the choir of the church. Pastor Jackson Sosthenes, who led the mass, also thanked President Magufuli for joining the congregation during yesterday’s service.

Meanwhile, President John Magufuli is expected to lead a number of other high profile guests from all over the country and neighbouring states during the marking of 150 years of the catholic evangelisation in Tanzania.

The celebrations will be combined with another anniversary where the country will also be marking the 100 years since the first indigenous priests were ordained for service along with white missionaries.

The event will be held at Rubia Seminary in Muleba District on October 1, this year. The Catholic Bishop of Bukoba Diocese, Desderius Rwoma, told the Daily News here yesterday the historical event will be held as planned.

“We thank the president for showing his interest to attend,” said Bishop Rwoma.

He added that in a special way, the diocese will be remembering the first two priests (Fr Oscar Kyakaraba and Fr Wilbard Mupapi) who were ordained in 1917 and who paved the way for other indigenous priests to join the race.

Bishop Rwoma said that Dr Magufuli will be among thousands of delegates, including His Eminence Cardinal Emmanuel Wamara of Uganda, who will be accompanied by Bishops of Masaka and Mbarara, as well as the Bishop of Kabugaye Diocese in Rwanda.

Other expected guests will include all the bishops and members of Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), retired bishops and almost all priests and alumni of Rubya Seminary in Muleba District which will host the event.