KAGERA: AUXILIARY Bishop Methodius Kilaini who retired recently has said that he does not regret his decision to serve the church for 51 years.
Until his retirement on January 27, 2024, he was the Apostolic Administrator for Bukoba Diocese. His retirement was in line with the church procedures which require bishops to retire after attaining the age of 75, regardless of their health.
“I feel honoured to have served the church for a period of 51 years as a priest and 23 years as a bishop. I appeal to all Tanzanians to remain united, maintain the prevailing peace and should not allow religion and political differences to divide us because we are all sons and daughters of one God,” he said.
Bishop Kilaini told the “Daily News’ in an interview that despite his grand parents’ ambition that he becomes an engineer or a medical practictioner and inherit their properties as a first born, he decided to serve the church.
His spiritual journey despite being raised in a non Catholic family, with a grandfather married to four wives, he was baptised.
He says his grandmother was baptised and she frequently took him to a nearby church where he developed an interest in what the Missionaries did and wanted to be like them.
“ I developed a great interest and decided to join a Seminary for school, sat for Cambridge examinations and passed with flying colours. The late Laurean Cardinal Rugambwa sent me to Rome, Italy for further studies and while in Rome, I made the decision to become a priest.
Today, I don’t regret my decision to serve the church for a period of 51 years as a priest and 23 years as a bishop,” he said.
Bishop Kilaini was born on March 30, 1948 in Bukoba DC’s Katoma village. He was ordained priest on March 18, 1972 and he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dar es Salaam on December 22, 1999.
He was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of Bukoba Diocese on October 1, 2022 until his retirement on January 27, 2024.
History was recently made in the Catholic Diocese of Bukoba after the event of consecration and installation of Bishop Jovitus Mwijage (57) as the Local Ordinary of the Diocese.
Fr Mwijage was consecrated a new bishop for Bukoba Catholic Diocese on January 27, this year replacing bishop Deziderius Rwoma who has retired.
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