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Tanzanian Catholic Bishop Appeals for National Unity, Peace, Invokes Intercession of Blessed Virgin Mary

Credit: Radio Maria Tanzania
Nicholas Waigwa

By Nicholas Waigwa

Dar es Salaam, 10 December, 2025 / 3:31 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Wolfgang Pisa of the Catholic Diocese of Lindi in Tanzania has called upon citizens of the East African nation to seek unity and peace through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, urging an end to divisive language following unrest that has persisted since the October 29 elections.

In his homily during the Eucharistic Celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the Congregation of the African Benedictine Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians, Bishop Pisa reflected on the unifying nature of Mother Mary, emphasizing the need for the people of the God in the country to seek her intercession. 

“Let us ask Mother Mary to intercede for us so that our nation will be united and everything will be done for the good of this nation,” Bishop Pisa said during the December 8 event at the Religious Institute’s Ndanda Mother House in the Catholic Diocese of Mtwara.

Recalling the nation’s longstanding devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary to whose protection St. John Paul II entrusted the country on 8 November 1984, he said, “Mother Mary was preserved from original sin,  the Immaculate Conception, her purity draws us nearer to God; she teaches us to be close to God. Her spirit unites people.”

“ Let us pray that she continues to unite our nation as well,” the Tanzanian-born member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) said during the Jubilee Celebrations which coincided with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, urging citizens to abandon hateful language and divisive rhetoric.

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He urged the citizens to abandon hateful language and divisive rhetoric, warning that it would be difficult to unite the nation if everyone continued to hold on to their position.

“In our nation everyone seems to speak their own language. In the end it will be difficult to unite the nation. So let us pray to Mother Mary,” The 60-year-old Tanzanian Catholic Church leader said. 

Demonstrations reportedly spread across Tanzania for several days following the October 29 vote, as citizens took to the streets to protest an election that, according to foreign observers, fell short of democratic standards after key opposition figures were barred from participating.

At least 240 people have reportedly been charged with treason in connection with the deadly protests, while human rights groups allege that thousands were killed in the election-related violence, warning that some victims may have been buried in secret mass graves.

In a CNN documentary released on November 20, police and armed men are shown fatally shooting largely at the unarmed protesters across multiple locations.

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The documentary also uses geolocated video, forensic audio, and satellite imagery, witness testimony and hospital/morgue footage to show the seriousness of the situation in the East African nation.

Meanwhile, in his December 8 homily Bishop Pisa emphasized the need for attentiveness and order in religious life, urging members of the Diocesan congregation which was founded in January 1946 to rediscover the foundational values that sustained their Religious Institute, vocation and service.

He noted that discipline, certainty, and order are essential elements of Christian and religious life, reminding the congregation that every task, whether prayer, liturgy, or daily work should be carried out with dedication. 

He said, “we are required to carry out our tasks with great attentiveness and discipline. If it is prayer, let us pray well; if it is liturgy, let us celebrate it reverently and properly. Mother Mary reminds us to do everything with discipline and order.” 

The OFM Cap member described the Jubilee Celebration as a moment for reflection, encouraging the Sisters to look back at areas where they may have fallen short, to seek God’s forgiveness, and to begin anew with renewed strength.

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“May this Jubilee leave you with a renewed zeal for prayer, a zeal for living your charism, a zeal for living your vocation, and a zeal for bringing salt and light into the Church,” Bishop Pisa said.

Nicholas Waigwa

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.