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Archbishop of Tabora in Tanzania Retires, Coadjutor Archbishop Takes Over

Archbishop Paul Runangaza Ruzoka (right) and Protase Cardinal Rugambwa. Credit: Tabora Archdiocese

By Magdalene Kahiu

Tabora, 10 November, 2023 / 8:55 pm (ACI Africa).

Archbishop Paul Runangaza Ruzoka of Tanzania's Tabora Archdiocese had retired after attaining the 75-year-old mandatory retirement age for Catholic Bishops.

The Archbishop will be succeeded by Protase Cardinal Rugambwa who was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of the Tanzanian Metropolitan See on 13 April.

The news of the administrative changes in Tabora was made public by the Holy See Press Office Friday, November 10 and confirmed by the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC).

Born in 1948, Archbishop Ruzoka was ordained a Priest for Kigoma Diocese in July 1975.

He started his episcopal ministry in January 1990 when he was ordained Bishop for Kigoma Diocese. 

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In November 2006, he was appointed Local Ordinary of Tabora Archdiocese which had been left vacant following the demise of Archbishop Mario Epifanio Abdallah Mgulunde.

Archbishop Ruzoka has been at the helm of Tabora Archdiocese from January 2007 when he was installed.

Cardinal Rugambwa, the former Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, was born in May 1960 in Bukoba Diocese.

The new Archbishop of Tabora was ordained a Priest for the Diocese of Rulenge-Ngara in September 1990.

Cardinal Rugambwa was appointed the Local Ordinary of Tanzania’s Catholic Diocese of Kigoma in 2008.

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He was appointed Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fide) and president of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) with the personal title of Archbishop in June 2012.

He is a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.

Magdalene Kahiu

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.

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