Tanzania Episcopal Conference
The bishops met in the local Episcopal Conference of Tanzania (Tanzania Episcopal Conference, TEC). Founded in 1956, the Episcopal Conference has been officially recognized by the government in 1957. It includes all the Catholic bishops of the country, ordinary, and auxiliary emeritus. Its headquarters are located in the capital Dar es Salaam. The statutes of the Conference have been approved by the Holy See on January 8, 1980. The TEC is a member of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). The TEC consists of the following institutions: the Plenary Assembly, the Permanent Council, the Secretary-General, eight departments, three research units, eight commissions. The authority and responsibility for managing the activities of TEC are granted Plenary Assembly, composed of all members, which meets once a year and is chaired by the President of the Conference. The management of the TEC is instead assigned to the Permanent Council, assisted by the Secretariat General. The Permanent Council is composed of the President of the Presiding Bishop of TEC and the Departments of TEC. Duties of the Secretary General is to organize the work of the Plenary Assembly, to implement its decisions, to liaise between the dioceses of the country. The TEC is then composed of eight departments (finance, pastoral, health, charity, communications, lay apostolate, education and seminars, liturgy), three units (including the ecclesiastical charge of building) and eight Commissions (armed forces and prisons, Migrants, Theology, Canon Law, Justice and Peace, Ecumenism, Consecrated Life).
List of Presidents:
1969-1970: Placidus Nkalanga, Bishop of Bukoba
1970-1976: James Dominic Sangu, Bishop of Mbeya
1976-1982: Mario Epifanio Abdallah Mgulunde, Bishop of Iringa
1982-1988: Anthony Mayala, Bishop of Musoma
1988-1994: Josaphat Louis Lebulu, bishop of Same
1994-2000: Justin Tetmu Samba, Bishop of Musoma
2000-2006: Severine Niwemugizi, bishop of Rulenge-Ngara
2006 - ... - Juda Thaddeus Ruwa'ichi, Archbishop of Mwanza
External links
- http://www.rc.net/tanzania/tec/index.htm
- http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/country/TZ.htm
- http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/country/tz.html