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Pope Francis Accepts Retirement of Apostolic Vicar in Ethiopia

Bishop Tsegaye Keneni Derara. Credit: CBCE

By Magdalene Kahiu

Soddo, 23 November, 2023 / 8:20 pm (ACI Africa).

Pope Francis has accepted the retirement of Bishop Tsegaye Keneni Derara from the pastoral care of the Apostolic Vicariate of Soddo in Ethiopia, where he has been serving as Apostolic Vicar.

The resignation of the 80-year-old Ethiopian Bishop was made public by the Holy See Press Office Thursday, November 23. 

Bishop Derara has been at the helm of the Ethiopian Vicariate since January 2014 when he succeeded Bishop Rodrigo Mejía Saldarriaga, who retired at the age of 75. 

The Holy Father had appointed him Titular Bishop of Maximiana and Coadjutor of the Apostolic Vicar of Soddo in October 2013. Bishop Derara has been a Prelate since November 2013 when he was consecrated, and assigned the Titular See of Maximiana in Byzacena. 

Born in November 1943, Bishop Derara was ordained a Priest for the Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa in July 1976.

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As a Priest, he served as Vicar General of Addis Ababa, Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat in Addis Ababa, Chancellor of the Curia in Addis Ababa,  Executive Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and Project Director of the Catholic University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Ethiopia, among others.

The alumnus of the Rome-based Pontifical Ethiopian College and the Pontifical Lateran University also holds a Masters Degree in Pastoral Theology from the Loyola University of Chicago in the U.S.

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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