JUKWAA LA WA WAKRISTO TANZANIA (TCF)


“ATUKUZWE MUNGU JUU MBINGUNI, NA DUNIANI IWE AMANI KWA WATU ALIOWARIDHIA” (Lk.2:14)


TAMKO LA PAMOJA LA MKUTANO MKUU WA DHARURA WA JUKWAA LA WAKRISTO TANZANIA


1. Utangulizi
Jukwaa la Wakristo Tanzania (TCF) linajumuisha Taasisi Kuu za Makanisa nchini kama ifuatavyo:- Jumuiya ya Kikristo Tanzania - CCT
Baraza la Maaskofu Katoliki Tanzania - TEC
Jumuiya ya Makanisa ya Kipentekoste Tanzania - PCT Kanisa la Waadventisti Wasabato – SDA (Watazamaji)

Katika Mkutano wake Mkuu wa Dharura uliofanyika katika Kituo cha Mikutano na Mafunzo cha Baraza la Maaskofu Katoliki Tanzania (TEC) Kurasini, Jijini Dar es Salaam, tarehe 8 Machi, 2013; Wajumbe walitafakari kwa undani juu ya kuzorota kwa mahusiano baina ya Dini mbili za Ukristo na Uislamu nchini Tanzania, pamoja na mauaji na mashambulizi ya viongozi wa dini; na hatua zilizochukuliwa na Serikali dhidi ya uhalifu huo unaotekelezwa na Waislamu wachache. Katika taswira hiyo, Kanisa lilitathmini juu ya wajibu, utume, na sauti yake ya kinabii kwa taifa letu kuhusiana na mambo hayo.

2. Hali halisi ilivyo hivi sasa hapa nchini kwa mtazamo wa Kanisa
Ushahidi wa kihistoria na kimazingira unaonyesha wazi kuwa kwa sasa Kanisa nchini Tanzania limo katika kipindi cha mateso ya kimfumo (systematic persecution), kama vipindi vingine 10 vya mateso katika Historia ya Kanisa hapa duniani.

Pamoja na mateso haya ya kimfumo, tunatambua wazi kuwa wanaotekeleza haya ni kikundi kidogo tu cha Waislamu wa Tanzania, kama wale wengine wa Barani Afrika (k.m. Boko Haram kule Nigeria). Waislamu walio wengi hawafurahii mambo yanayotokea. Wao pia wanaitazamia Serikali kuthibiti hawa wachache wanaochafua dini ya Kiislamu na kuwafanya Waislamu wote waonekane kuwa maadui wa Ukristo, jambo ambalo siyo kweli. Kutokana na hali hiyo, mkutano mkuu wa dharura wa Jukwaa la Wakristo umeyaangalia maeneo makuu yenye migogoro ikiwa ni pamoja na:



2.1. Mgororo wa nani anastahili kuchinja kitoweo
Hivi karibuni hapa nchini tumeshuhuduia mgogoro juu ya uchinjaji wa mifugo ambayo nyama yake inapaswa kuuzwa kwa watu wa imani mbalimbali wakiwemo Wakristo na Waislamu. Tunafahamu kwamba sheria ya nchi yetu inaweka bayana juu ya usalama wa nyama hizo kiafya, lakini sheria haielekezi kuwa dini fulani ndiyo waumini wake wanapaswa kuchinja mifugo hiyo. Kwa misingi hiyo Kanisa linatamka kuwa:-


a) Hoja ya dini moja kudai kuhodhi (exclusive right) uchinjaji wa mifugo kwa misingi ya imani yake ni kinyume cha haki ya uhuru wa kuabudu ambayo amepewa kila mtu ndani ya nchi hii kikatiba katika Ibara 19.

b) Kwa kuwa kuchinja wanyama na ndege ni Ibada kwa Waislamu, Kanisa litambue na kuheshimu jambo hilo. Lakini pamoja na kutambua haki ya Waislamu kujichinjia wanyama na ndege kama Ibada kwao, Wakristo wasilazimishwe kula nyama zilizochinjwa kwa misingi ya Ibada za Kiislamu. Kwa kuwa wananchi wa Tanzania ni wa dini mbalimbali na mila za makabila mbalimbali, tunaitaka Serikali itamke wazi kuwa kila raia ana uhuru wa kufuata imani yake katika suala la uchinjaji.

c) Kuhusiana na jambo hili tunashindwa kabisa kuelewa msimamo wa Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania na Viongozi wengine waandamizi wa Serikali. Wakati wa Serikali ya awamu ya pili chini ya Rais Mstaafu Ali Hassan Mwinyi, ambaye pia ni Muislamu, ulipotokea ugomvi wa mabucha ya nyama ya nguruwe Dar es Salaam, Rais huyu Mstaafu kwa kulinda Katiba ya nchi ambayo aliapa kuilinda, alisema mwenyewe kwa nguvu zote kuwa kila mtu ana uhuru wa kula anachotaka na mtu wa dini moja asimhukumu mtu wa dini nyingine kwa kile anachokula. Baada ya Rais Mstaafu kukemea jambo hili, hali ikawa ya amani na utulivu. Kwa nini Serikali yetu ya sasa inapata kigugumizi kuhusiana na suala zima la nani achinje?

d) Kwa mantiki hiyo hapo juu katika kipengele cha a-c, Wakristo wanaitaka Serikali iweke utaratibu wa kugawana machinjio na mabucha kati ya Wakristo na Waislamu ili kila Mtanzania awe huru kujinunulia kitoweo mahali anapotaka. Sambamba na kuitaka Serikali kufanya hivyo, tunawakumbusha Wakristo wote Tanzania kuelewa kuwa watakuwa hawajavunja sheria yoyote ya nchi wakiamua kujichinjia kitoweo chao wenyewe. Kuhusiana na tangazo hili kwa Wakristo wote, tunaitaka mihimili ya dola (Serikali na Mahakama) kuheshimu Katiba ya Nchi yetu, na kipekee kuhusiana na jambo hili Ibara ile ya 19.

e) Kwa upande mwingine, kwa kuwa tayari zipo bidhaa za vyakula katika nchi hii ambazo zina nembo ya ‘halal’ na nyingine hazina nembo hiyo, huu ni uthibitisho kuwa vyakula hivyo vimegawanywa kwa kufuata misingi ya imani za kidini. Kwa hiyo, madai ya kugawanya machinjio na mabucha kwa kufuata misingi ya dini sio jambo jipya kwa sasa katika nchi hii.

2.2 Uchomaji wa Makanisa ulioambatana na vitisho na mauaji ya viongozi wa Kanisa


Kanisa linalaani vikali mauaji ya kidini yanayoendelea kufanywa pamoja na vitisho (systematic persecution) kwa viongozi wa Kanisa na Wakristo wote kwa ujumla. Mtiririko wa matukio mbali mbali ya nyuma yanatudhihirishia kuwa kumekuwepo na mpango wa muda mrefu wa haya yanayotokea sasa hivi. Tarehe 15 Januari 2011, kundi la Waumini wa Kiislamu walipokutana katika ukumbi wa Diamond Jubilee, miongoni mwao walikuwamo mashehe, walijadili hali ya nchi ya Tanzania kuongozwa kwa mfumo wa kidini. Mkutano huo ulihitimishwa kwa kutoa tamko dhidi ya kile kilichoitwa mfumo Kristo katika nchi yetu!


Japo Serikali na vyombo vyake vya usalama wa Taifa vimekuwa vikipata taarifa za vitisho dhidi ya viongozi wa Kanisa, mauaji, kuchomwa kwa nyumba za ibada, pamoja na maneno ya uchochezi kupitia mihadhara, vipeperushi, CD na vyombo vya habari vinavyomilikiwa na taasisi zinazofahamika, hata hivyo Serikali kwa kiasi kikubwa imeshindwa kuchukua hatua kwa wakati muafaka na wanasubiri hadi maovu yatendeke ndipo ati waanze kufanya uchunguzi. Kwa Serikali yetu inaonekana wazi kuwa katika hili ile methali kwamba “Kinga ni bora kuliko tiba” haina maana yoyote. Hii ni kuonyesha udhaifu mkubwa wa vyombo vya usalama wa Taifa au pia kwamba vyombo hivi vinafurahia kutoweka kwa amani nchini mwetu, jambo ambalo linalifanya Kanisa nchini Tanzania liamini kwamba matukio haya yanayoendelea kutokea ni dalili kuwa Serikali ina agenda ya siri dhidi ya Ukristo. Kutokana na hayo Jukwaa la Wakristo Tanzania linatamka kama ifuatavyo:

a) Tunatambua kwamba ni jukumu la Serikali kuwatendea raia wake kwa usawa na bila ya ubaguzi kwa mujibu wa Ibara ya 12 na 13 ya Katiba ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania. Viongozi wa Kanisa wanatamka kwamba Serikali imeshindwa kuheshimu Katiba juu ya hizi haki za raia wake na kupelekea waamini wa dini ya Kikristo kukosa imani na Serikali iliyoko madarakani, hasa kuhusu ulinzi na usalama wao na mali zao kama inavyoagizwa kwenye Ibara ya 14 ya Katiba ya Jamhuri wa Muungano wa Tanzania. Kama Serikali inaona haiwezi kuwahakikishia wananchi usalama wa uhai wao na mali zao, na hivyo kuwafanya waishi maisha ya hofu inayotokana na vitisho, basi kwa mujibu wa Katiba ya nchi yetu, hakuna sababu ya Serikali iliyoko madarakani kung’ang’ania kuongoza nchi.

b) Kwa kuwa ulinzi wa raia ni haki ya kikatiba na kisheria, Serikali inatakiwa iwalinde raia wake. Kama Serikali imeshindwa kuwalinda raia wake, Kanisa linataka Serikali ikiri hivyo ili Kanisa liwaambie wananchi waiwajibishe Serikali na Viongozi wanaoifanya Serikali ishindwe kutimiza wajibu wake. Jukwaa la Wakristo linasema: Kama Serikali haitachukua hatua za makusudi dhidi ya mambo haya yaliyoainishwa hapo juu, Kanisa litachukua hatua ya kuwaambia waamini wake kwamba Serikali iliyoko madarakani inaibeba dini moja, na hivyo Kanisa litatafakari upya uhusiano wake na Serikali.

3. Wakristo walioko Zanzibar


Wakristo walioko Zanzibar wanatishiwa maisha yao na mali zao zinaharibiwa mara kwa mara, kiasi cha wengine kuamua kuhamia Tanzania Bara. Kigezo cha unyanyasaji huo ni suala la udini na muungano. Inaonekana ni kama vile Watanzania waliozaliwa Bara hawana haki ya kuishi Visiwani. Na kumbe wale waliozaliwa Visiwani wafikapo Barani wana haki zote. Kanisa linaitaka Serikali iwahakikishie Wakristo walioko Zanzibar usalama wao na wa mali zao maana hiyo ni haki yao ya Kikatiba.

4. Vitisho na mauaji ya Wanakanisa


Serikali ya Jamhuri wa Muungano wa Tanzania ichukue hatua za makusudi za kuzuia vitisho na mauaji kwa Viongozi wa Kanisa na Wakristo kwa ujumla. Vinginevyo Kanisa litautangazia ulimwengu kuwa Tanzania ni nchi mojawapo inayovunja haki za binadamu kwa ubaguzi wa kidini na kulitesa Kanisa kimfumo.

5. Matumizi ya Vyombo vya Habari:


Kwa kuwa kuna baadhi ya vyombo vya habari ambavyo vimeruhusu vitumiwe kuwatukana Viongozi wa Kanisa, tunatoa nafasi kwa vyombo hivyo kuomba radhi; vinginevyo tutaitaka dunia ivielewe kuwa navyo ni sehemu ya chanzo cha migogoro. Pia tunachukua nafasi hii kuvitahadharisha vyombo mbalimbali vya habari kupima kwa kina ni nini kinachosemwa na viongozi wa kidini ili kuviepusha vyombo hivyo kutumika kwa nia ya uchochezi; yasije yakatukuta kama yale yaliyotokea kule Rwanda 1994.

6. Hitimisho:


Kanisa linaendelea kusisitiza kuwa silaha kuu ya Mkristo katika nyakati hizi ni maombi na kufunga. Kwa mantiki hiyo, Kanisa linawataka Wakristo wote nchini Tanzania kuungana kwa pamoja katika maombi na kufunga kwa muda wa siku saba kwa ajili ya hali hii iliyojitokeza hapa nchini. Maombi hayo na mfungo vifanyike kabla ya Pasaka, yaani kuanzia, tarehe 24/3/2013 hadi 30/3/2013.

Kwa niaba ya Maaskofu 177 walioshiriki katika Mkutano Mkuu wa Dharura wa Jukwaa la Wakristo na kutoa maazimio hayo.

1. Askofu Peter Kitula – Mwenyekiti CCT…………………………………………………………….


2. Askofu Tarcisius J. M. Ngalalekumtwa Rais TEC………………………………………………



3. Askofu David Batenzi Mwenyekiti PCT……………………………………………………………

VATICAN CITY - Francis of Assisi began his saintly career following what he said was God's command: "Rebuild my Church." The new pope who took his name heard the same message from the cardinals who elected him.

The 13th-century Francis toured the Italian countryside repairing dilapidated chapels before realizing his mission was to change the whole Roman Catholic Church.

At 76, Pope Francis does not have as much time to get to work.

What the first Jesuit pope has is management experience in his native Argentina as head of the Jesuit province and chairman of the national bishops conference. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he dealt with everything from poverty to national politics.

"He's been at the top of the organization, but he's not been tamed by that," says Rev. James Hanvey, a Jesuit theologian. "In management speak, he's held to the core values. He wants us all to refocus on the core values."

Bergoglio's record shows he has strong convictions and is not afraid to take unpopular decisions. Jose Maria Poirier, editor of the lay Catholic monthly Criterio in Buenos Aires, said Church staff there described him as an "attentive, human and considerate" boss who is also demanding, has little patience for bureaucracy, and appoints talented assistants.

His predecessor Benedict's failure in this regard was partly to blame for the infighting that crippled the Curia bureaucracy and came to light in leaked Vatican documents last year.

Shakeup in the Curia

The first hint Francis gave of plans to change the Curia came three days after his election when he reappointed its top bureaucrats temporarily rather than permanently, as Benedict did after being elected in 2005.

With his humble style, the pope has begun deflating the imperial side of the Vatican, which resembles a Renaissance monarchy with an absolute sovereign, a coterie of close advisers and Curia departments that answer to the pope but often don't talk to each other.

Francis's references to himself simply as the bishop of Rome—the position from which his papal authority flows—hints at a willingness to involve the hierarchy around the globe in running the world's largest church.

Hanvey said a first step would be to call heads of national bishops conferences around the world to meet regularly in Rome as advisers. This was proposed by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), but Popes John Paul and Benedict used it so rarely that some bishops complained they were being "treated like altar boys" rather than senior colleagues.

The Curia needs regular cabinet meetings, more international staffers to overcome its domination by Italian clerics and a full work day rather than schedules that end in early afternoon, U.S. theologian George Weigel said.

It has only two women in senior posts, another aspect of the Curia critics say needs to be changed.

One overlooked fact is that the Curia, with just over 2,000 employees, is actually understaffed. "They're overwhelmed," said one senior figure from another religion in contact with the Curia, who asked not to be named.

Waiting for other signals

The opaque operations at the Vatican Bank, known as the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), were widely discussed among cardinals ahead of the conclave. Francis has criticized globalization and unfettered capitalism in the past, so he may take a critical look at the bank, but he has not indicated his plans.

The book "His Holiness," which published the leaked Vatican documents last year, detailed alleged corruption, inflated prices for work in the Vatican and clashes over the management at the bank.

The Council of Europe and the Bank of Italy have criticized it for lax anti-money-laundering controls and oversight, two areas where the Vatican says it is improving.

Critics also say the Church has not compensated victims of sexual abuse enough or held bishops sufficiently responsible for covering up cases. Francis would quickly tarnish his compassionate image if he did not go beyond the apologies and meetings with victims that Benedict pioneered.

Reputed to be a theological conservative, Francis has criticized Argentina's government for legalizing same-sex marriage, opposes abortion and women priests and defends the celibacy rule for male clergy. But he has also upbraided priests who refused to baptize babies of unmarried mothers. He has admitted to being "dazzled" by a young lady while in the seminary and said he helps priests who struggle with their vow of celibacy.

All this suggests a softer edge to some of his positions. "Benedict was clearly labelled" as a doctrinaire conservative, said Italian theologian Massimo Faggioli. "It will be easier for [Francis] to say things without the audience having a ready response." — Reuters

Pope Francis to live in Vatican guesthouse, not papal apartments

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has decided not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but to live in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he has been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.

"He is experimenting with this type of living arrangement, which is simple," but allows him "to live in community with others," both the permanent residents -- priests and bishops who work at the Vatican -- as well as guests coming to the Vatican for meetings and conferences, Father Lombardi said March 26.

The spokesman said Pope Francis has moved out of the room he drew by lot before the conclave and into Suite 201, a room that has slightly more elegant furnishings and a larger living room where he can receive guests.

The Domus Sanctae Marthae, the official name of the guesthouse, was built in 1996 specifically to house cardinals during a conclave.

Celebrating Mass March 26 with the residents and guests, Pope Francis told them he intended to stay, Father Lombardi said. The permanent residents, who had to move out during the conclave, had just returned to their old rooms.

Pope Francis has been there since his election March 13, taking his meals in the common dining room downstairs and celebrating a 7 a.m. Mass with Vatican employees in the main chapel of the residence.

He will be the first pope in 110 years not to live in the papal apartments on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace.

In 1903, St. Pius X became the first pope to live in the apartments overlooking St. Peter's Square. The apartments were completely remodeled by Pope Paul VI in 1964 and have undergone smaller modifications by each pope since, according to "Mondo Vaticano," a Vatican-published mini-encyclopedia about Vatican buildings, offices and tradition.

The large living room or salon of the apartment is located directly above the papal library where official audiences with visiting bishops and heads of state are held.

Pope Francis will continue to use the library for official audiences and to recite the Angelus prayer on Sundays and holy days from the apartment window overlooking St. Peter's Square, Father Lombardi said.

The apartments contain a chapel, an office for the pope and a separate office for his secretaries, the pope's bedroom, a dining room, kitchen and rooms for two secretaries and for the household staff.

When Pope Francis returned to the guesthouse after his election, Father Lombardi had said the move was intended to be short-term while a few small work projects were completed in the papal apartments. He said March 26 that all the work had been completed, but at least for the foreseeable future, Pope Francis would not move in.

The Domus Sanctae Marthae, named after St. Martha, is a five-story building on the edge of Vatican City. 

While offering relative comfort, the residence is not a luxury hotel. The building has 105 two-room suites and 26 singles; about half of the rooms are occupied by the permanent residents. Each suite has a sitting room with a desk, three chairs, a cabinet and large closet; a bedroom with dresser, night table and clothes stand; and a private bathroom with a shower.

The rooms all have telephones and access to an international satellite television system.

The building also has a large meeting room and a variety of small sitting rooms. In addition to the dining room and the main chapel, it also has four private chapels, located at the end of hallways on the third and fifth floors of each of the building's two wings

Today is the new pope’s first Sunday as head of the Catholic Church.

With solemnity, he delivered a homily about moving the Catholic Church forward to the cardinal electors, who were dressed in light yellow robes. Altar servers burned incense in the Sistine Chapel, the setting for the Mass.Speaking in Italian, Francis didn't use a script and kept the sermon short, calling on the cardinals to have courage."When we don't walk, we are stuck. When we don't build on the rock, what happens? It's what happens to children when they build a sand castle and it all then falls down," the new pontiff said."When we walk without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we confess without the cross, we are not disciples of Christ. We are mundane," he said. "We are all but disciples of our Lord."I would like for all of us, after these days of grace, that we find courage to walk in the presence of God ... and to build the church with the blood of Christ," the pope continued. "Only this way will the church move forward."During the service, the cardinals prayed for the new pope and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI so "that he may serve the Church while hidden to the world, in a life dedicated to prayer and meditation," the Vatican said.When Jorge Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony at the Vatican on Wednesday evening to reveal himself as the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, he made history as the first non-European pope of the modern era, the first from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to assume the name Francis.Francis began Thursday by praying at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, a place of special significance for the Jesuits.His next public appearance is likely to be Sunday. The new pontiff will "very probably" celebrate Mass at St. Peter's and then deliver the traditional Angelus blessing, said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman.

Pope named after Francis of Assisi heralded by gull atop Sistine chimney

Newly appointed pontiff Jorge Mario Bergoglio takes name of Catholic friar portrayed as nature lover – and preacher to birds

A gull lingers on the Sistine Chapel chimney during the cardinals' conclave at the Vatican on Wednesday. Photograph: Reuters

The dove has traditionally represented the Holy Spirit but it was a bird with a rather less divine reputation that heralded the name of the new pope. As the crowds massed in front of the Vatican, a seagull alighted on the chimney from which smoke billows to indicate the outcome of the papal ballot in the Sistine Chapel below.

The newly appointed pontiff, the Argentinian cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, will take the name of Pope Francis, after Francis of Assisi, the much-loved Italian patron saint of animals and the environment who is often portrayed with a bird, usually in his hand.

"The name the new pope chooses tells a lot about the thrust of his papacy," said Ambrogio Piazzoni, a church historian and vice-prefect of the Vatican library.

The best known tale about Saint Francis's love of nature is recounted in the Fioretti (Little Flowers), a collection of legends and folklore. The story says that while he was travelling with some companions, they came upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees. Francis told his companions to wait for him while he preached to his sisters the birds, which flocked to him – supposedly attracted by the power of his voice.

The saint, a rich young man from the town of Assisi in Umbria who renounced wealth and founded the Franciscan order of friars in 1290, is also identified with peace, poverty and a simple lifestyle, which is in keeping with the current period of recession and austerity.

The choice could foretell the pope's priorities in striving to bring a sense of serenity to the troubled church. Francis is said to have been called by God to repair a church in ruins.

Choosing the name of one of Italy's patron saints also ties the new pope to Italy, the homeland of all popes for 450 years until 1978.

Bergoglio is Pope Francis I. The last pontiff to take a new name rather than one that honours a predecessor was Pope John Paul I, 35 years ago.

The previous pope Benedict XVI said he had chosen the name in order to follow the example of the early 20th-century Pope Benedict XV, who led the church through the first world war and its aftermath.

When he became pope in 1978, Karol Wojtyla chose to keep the name of his immediate predecessor, John Paul I, in deference to the earlier pope's short-lived papacy.

John Paul II had also reportedly considered Stanislaw, in homage to the patron saint of his native Poland.

Until the first millennium, popes were called by their first names. The exception was the sixth-century pope John II, who decided his actual name, Roman Mercurius, was unsuitable with its association to a pagan deity.

Giuseppe Roncalli, who succeeded him almost a millennium and a half later, opted to become John XXIII because the church in which he was baptised in the small town of Sotto il Monte in northern Italy bore the name of John the Baptist.

Over the 2,000 year history of the church the most popular name is John followed by Gregory, and Benedict.

One name remains a definite no go because it lies beyond the boundaries of spiritual and temporal modesty, Peter II.

March 16, 2013.

 “How I would like a poor Church, for the poor,”said the Pope. 
 
Pope Francis left no doubt about what his focus will be during his pontificate as the first Latin American Pope for the Catholic Church. Speaking to the more than 5,000 journalists at the Paul VI Hall, Francis also explained how that focus on the world's most needy influenced his name choice.
FRANCIS 
“During the election, next to me was Cardinal Claudio Hummes, a great friend. When the 'danger' grew, he would comfort me. And when we reached two thirds, Cardinal Hummes hugged me and kissed me saying, 'Do not forget about the poor,' so then in my mind I immediately thought of Francis of Assisi.” 
During his speech, he often went off script and made several jokes. At one point, he said a fellow cardinal suggested he take on the name Clement XV to rebuke Pope Clement XIV who suppressed the Jesuits, the crowd roared with laughter and applause.
He also used the relatively brief speech to speak about the media's role, saying they shared the Church's mission of spreading truth, beauty and kindness.
After his speech, he greeted the members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, as well as several journalists. The director for the Vatican's webpage gave him an iPad, to enable him to follow Benedict's example in using technology to reach out to others for the New Evangelization.
To conclude the audience with journalists, he uttered his first words in his native Spanish, issuing a blessing to believers and non-believers alike.
FRANCIS
“Many of you do not belong to the Catholic Church, and others are not believers, but respecting the conscience of each person, I give you my blessing, knowing that each one of you is the son of God. God bless you!”

Kikwete Salutes new Pope

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has sent congratulatory message to newly elected Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis. “Your election is a vivid testimony of faith, trust and honour the Roman Catholic Church has on you.

The history behind you of love, care and sympathy to the disadvantaged gives the people around the world, being Catholics or not a reason to celebrate your nomination,” Mr Kikwete said in the message.

Vatican and Tanzania cherished long cooperation relations and President Kikwete assured Pope Francis of continued cooperation, expressing hope that it would grow stronger under the new leadership.

Meanwhile, His Eminence, Bishop Telesphor Mkude of the Roman Catholic Church Diocese of Morogoro has commended President Kikwete for well-regarded national leadership. Speaking at a fund raising ceremony held on Thursday night at the TPDF Magadu Officer’s Mess on the outskirts of Morogoro town to enhance establishment of Kigurunyembe congregation, Bishop Mkude said Mr Kikwete’s presence proved love and good care to the people of Tanzania. “Thank you for true love and care to us (Tanzanians),” he said.

The cleric also appealed to the government to act tough against few elements targeting churches by setting them ablaze, saying that the retrogressive attempt undermined efforts and resources committed to put up the expensive structures.

“Mr President in your January end-of-month national address you insisted that co-existence and religious tolerance has become part of the culture among Tanzanians. We should not allow few individuals to disrupt this philosophy,” he said. The fund raising ceremony was intended to collect 200m/- but pledges and cash collected amounted to 225m/- with 73m/- cash at hand.

SOURCE http://m.dailynews.co.tz

New Pope has ties to Lutherans, says ELCA presiding Bishop

  CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In response to the election today of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as the new pope, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said he is “encouraged that Pope Francis has worked with Lutherans in Argentina.”
  Meeting with Lutheran church leaders in Madagascar, Hanson said that “as we approach the commemoration of the 500th (observance) of the Lutheran Reformation, we share a deep commitment to our ongoing dialogues with the Catholic Church internationally and in the United States.”

 “His choice of the name Francis is a strong sign of his commitment to a life of prayer, simplicity, humility and solidarity with those who live on the margins of society. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit sustain him as we enter this holy calling,” Hanson said.

 According to the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, assistant to the ELCA presiding bishop, executive for ecumenical and inter-religious relations, the election of Bergoglio “certainly brings a Holy Father to the world’s Catholics but also is very important for Christians throughout the world. Taking the name of Francis is very interesting to me, and I am sure many others. Francis of Assisi prayed before a crucifix and heard the words of Christ speaking to him, ‘Francis go and repair my Church ….’

  “This signifies to me that Pope Francis realizes the simple life of Francis is important for leadership in the church, that there is the need for renewal in the church, and there is a call to a life dedicated to serving others … especially the poor,” said McCoid.

  “Having a pope from the Americas is historic and does provide a new day for Christians in the global south. We join Catholics and others in praying for the new pope and for the hope that greater unity in Christ will be a renewing theme in his life and in the life of Christ’s church,” he said.
In the United States, the ELCA and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have been in ongoing discussions for more than 30 years. Each round covers a specific topic important for the life and vitality of both communions.

 ELCA leaders met with Pope Benedict XVI and other Roman Catholic Church leaders at the Vatican in 2012 to present “The Hope of Eternal Life” -- a common statement from the eleventh round of dialogues -- to Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

  The common statement offers insights into some issues that proved contentious in the debates of the 16th century, such as the communion of saints, prayers for or about the dead, the meaning of death, purgation, the promise of the resurrection and more.

 Hanson said the new round of dialogues, “Ministries of Teaching: Sources, Shapes and Essential Contents,” will address areas of morality, ethics and theology, “looking at the Bible as an authoritative source for teaching ministries, as well as the international dialogue through The Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican.”

 In 2009, Lutherans and Catholics celebrated the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on Doctrine of Justification -- recognized as a significant achievement in the history of Christian ecumenical relations. Signed by representatives of The Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church in Augsburg, Germany, the agreement declares that The Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church have reached a common understanding on justification, agreeing that believers are saved by faith in Jesus Christ and not by works.

  The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of 143 member churches in 79 countries worldwide. The ELCA is the communion’s only member church from the United States.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the troubled Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, taking the name Francis I and becoming the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years.

Newly elected Pope Francis I, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis, 76, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica just over an hour after white smoke poured from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel to signal 115 cardinal electors had chosen him to lead the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

"Pray for me," the new pontiff, dressed in the white robes of a pope for the first time, urged the crowd, smiling warmly.

NEWSMAKER - Argentina's Pope Bergoglio here

Pictures - Meet the new pope here

The choice of Bergoglio, who is the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope, was announced by French cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran with the Latin words "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus Papam" ("I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope.")

Francis has became the 266th pontiff in the Church's 2,000-year history at a time of great crisis, with the church under fire over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy.

Jubilant Argentines poured into churches, some crying and praying, after the announcement at the Vatican. "This is a blessing for Argentina," one woman shouted on a Buenos Aires street.

"I hope he changes all the luxury that exists in the Vatican, that he steers the church in a more humble direction, something closer to the gospel," said Jorge Andres Lobato, a 73-year-old retired state prosecutor.

JESUIT ORDER

Although a conservative, Francis is seen as a reformer and was not among the small group of frontrunners identified before the election. The Jesuit order to which he belongs was founded in the 16th century to serve the pope. It is best known for its work in education and the intellectual prowess of its members.

Bergoglio is known as a humble man who leads an austere and sober life without ostentation, travelling by public transport and living in a small apartment outside Buenos Aires.

He is a moderate who is willing to challenge powerful interests and is deeply concerned about the social inequalities in Argentina and elsewhere in Latin America. He has had a sometimes difficult relationship with President Cristina Fernandez and her late husband and predecessor Nestor Kirchner.

Francis has spoken out strongly against gay marriage, denouncing it in 2010 as "an attempt to destroy God's plan".

He was born into a middle-class family of seven, his father an Italian immigrant railway worker and his mother a housewife.

Replacing Pope Benedict, who resigned last month, he overturned one of the main assumptions before the election, that the new pope would be relatively young.

Bergoglio is the oldest of most of the possible candidates and was barely mentioned in feverish speculation about the top contenders before the conclave.

He is the first non-European pope since Syrian-born Gregory III in the eighth century, and the third successive non-Italian pontiff.

The Vatican said his inaugural mass would be held on March 19.

U.S. President Barack Obama said the election of Francis "speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world."

"PRAY FOR BENEDICT"

In brief remarks from the balcony of St. Peter's, Francis called on the faithful to pray for Benedict and said the Church was setting off on a "journey of fraternity, of love, of trust."

It seemed the cardinal electors "went to the end of the world" to find him, he said.

The Vatican said Francis would visit Benedict soon at his temporary home in the summer papal residence outside Rome.

Thousands of people sheltering from heavy rain under a sea of umbrellas had occupied the square all day to await the decision and the crowd swelled as soon as the white smoke emerged.

They cheered wildly and raced towards the basilica as the smoke billowed from a narrow makeshift chimney and St Peter's bells rang.

The tens of thousands in the square cheered even more loudly when Francis appeared, the first pontiff to take that name. "Viva il Papa (pope)," they chanted.

The election was enthusiastically welcomed in Latin America. "I am happy because another European pope would be like eating the same bread every day," said Mexico City cab driver Martin Rodriguez.

"We're happy because we have a new pope and because the choice of a Latin American shows that the Church is opening, is now focused on the entire Church. It's not just a church only focused on Europe," said Leonardo Steiner, general secretary of the national conference of Brazilian bishops.

Frontrunners at the conclave had included Brazilian Odilo Scherer, and Italy's Angelo Scola, who would have returned the papacy to traditional Italian hands after 35 years of the German Benedict XVI and Polish John Paul II.

The decision by cardinal electors sequestered in a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel came sooner than many experts expected because there were several frontrunners before the vote to replace Pope Benedict.

The cardinals faced a thorny task in finding a leader capable of overcoming crises caused by priestly child abuse and a leak of secret papal documents that uncovered corruption and rivalry inside the Church government or Curia.

Francis will head a Church also shaken by rivalry from other churches, the advance of secularism, especially in its European heartland, and allegations of scandal at the Vatican bank.

The series of crises is thought to have contributed to Benedict's decision to become the first pontiff in 600 years to abdicate.

RIVAL TO RATZINGER IN 2005

Bergoglio was a moderate rival candidate at the 2005 conclave to the conservative Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who went on to become Benedict.

Italian media say he impressed cardinals in pre-conclave meetings where they discussed the Church's problems.

Reserved and humble, Francis does not fit the profile of an active preacher that many cardinals had previously said they were seeking. He studied chemistry before joining the priesthood nearly a decade after losing a lung to respiratory illness.

"He's very humble, I heard that in Buenos Aires he used to take public transport, have an apartment and cook for himself. The fact that he chose the name Francis means a lot. It means we will have a humble, simple pope close to the poor people. But it was a big surprise," said Jules Charette, 54, a Canadian lawyer in St. Peter's Square.

Bands from the Italian armed forces and the Vatican's own Swiss guard army paraded in front of the basilica before the new pope appeared.

The secret conclave began on Tuesday night with a first ballot and four ballots were held on Wednesday. Francis obtained the required two thirds majority in the fifth ballot.

Following a split ballot when they were first shut away amid the chapel's Renaissance splendour on Tuesday evening, the cardinal electors held a first full day of deliberations on Wednesday. Black smoke rose after the morning session to signal no decision.

The previous four popes were all elected within two or three days.

Seven ballots have been required on average over the last nine conclaves. Benedict was clear frontrunner in 2005 and elected after only four ballots.

In preparatory meetings before the conclave, the cardinals seemed divided between those who believe the new pontiff must be a strong manager to get the dysfunctional bureaucracy under control and others who are looking more for a proven pastoral figure to revitalise their faith across the globe.

Apart from Brazil's Scherer and Italy's Scola, a host of other candidates from numerous nations had also been mentioned as potential popes - including U.S. cardinals Timothy Dolan and Sean O'Malley, Canada's Marc Ouellet and Argentina's Leonardo Sandri.

But the frontrunners list never mentioned Bergoglio.

Still no Pope: Black smoke rises from Sistine Chapel on second day of papal conclave as world waits for the next pontiff

• Centuries-old tradition of conclave under way as church faces upheaval and uncertainty not seen in decades
• Electors sent up black smoke yesterday evening to indicate they had failed to decide on a new pontiff after first day
• Second plume of black smoke seen coming from chimney this morning to indicate inconclusive second ballot
• 115 Cardinals will remain locked inside Sistine Chapel until one candidate receives at least 77 votes
• World's 1.2billion Catholics still in turmoil after Benedict XVI's shock resignation last month for health reasons

By HUGO GYE and SIMON TOMLINSON

The cardinals who will choose the next Pope failed to make a decision this morning after voting for a second time on a replacement for Benedict XVI following his shock resignation.

Black smoke poured out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel around 10.40am GMT to signify that the latest ballot had resulted in deadlock.

The 115 senior priests failed to elect a pontiff during two hours of discussion yesterday, and sent up a plume of black smoke to signal their disagreement before retiring for the night.

They will spend several hours today locked in the world-famous building, but it is unclear whether or not this will be day that they settle on a man to lead the Catholic Church into the future.

Benedict's resignation has thrown the church into turmoil and exposed deep divisions among cardinals grappling with whether to pick a manager who can clean up the Vatican bureaucracy or a pastor who can inspire Catholics at a time of crisis.

Waiting for the Pope: Catholics gathered in St Peter's Square in hope of hearing a result from the papal conclave choosing the next pontiff

Disappointment: Black smoke emerged out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel around 10.40am GMT to signify the cardinals were deadlocked

Cardinals chanting the Latin hymn 'Veni Creator Spiritus' (Come Creator Spirit) in the Sistine Chapel before the start of the conclave

On their way: Cardinals Giovanni Lajolo and Tarcisio Bertone entering the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave on Wednesday

THE PROCESS OF ELECTING THE NEW POPE  "STARTS"

The Sistine Chapel is seen as preparations continue for the conclave at the Vatican March 9. Cardinal electors will enter the chapel in the afternoon March 12 to begin the conclave to elect the new pope. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

   

Uhuru Kenyatta wins Kenyan election by slimmest margin

 Kenyatta, indicted for crimes against humanity, was declared winner of Kenya’s presidential election on Saturday with a tiny margin, just enough to avoid a run-off after a race that has divided the nation along tribal lines.

Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding president, faces trial after the disputed 2007 presidential vote that unleashed a wave of tribal blood-letting.

With the 51-year-old in the top job, Kenya will become the second African country after Sudan to have a sitting president indicted by the International Criminal Court.

The United States and other Western powers, big donors to the east African nation, said before the vote that a Kenyatta win would complicate diplomatic ties with a nation viewed as a vital ally in the regional battle against militant Islam.

After saying Kenyatta secured 50.07 per cent of the votes, just achieving the more than 50 per cent needed to avoid a second round, the chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Issack Hassan, announced:

“I therefore declare Uhuru Kenyatta the duly elected president of the Republic of Kenya,” he said. Shortly afterward he handed a certificate of the results to Kenyatta, who had arrived after the declaration. Kenyatta thanked him.

Many in the election centre cheered, although celebrations started in the early hours of Saturday after provisional results showed Kenyatta’s victory. Supporters thronged the streets of Nairobi and his tribal strongholds, lighting fluorescent flares and waving tree branches and chanting “Uhuru, Uhuru.”

The mood was tense but calm in the heartlands of Kenyatta’s rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who also lost in the disputed 2007 vote and trailed this time with 43.3 per cent.

“No Raila, no peace,” Odinga supporters chanted as security forces stood by in Kisumu, a city where violence flared in 2007.

Speaking before the formal declaration, a close adviser to Odinga said his candidate would challenge the result if Kenyatta was declared winner.

“He is not conceding the election,” Salim Lone said, speaking on behalf of Odinga. “If Uhuru Kenyatta is announced president-elect then he will move to the courts immediately.”

Odinga’s camp had said during tallying that the ballot count was deeply flawed and had called for it to be halted. But they promised to pursue any disputes in the courts not the streets.

The election commission, plagued by technical problems that slowed the count, took five days to announce the result.

International observers broadly said the vote and count had been transparent so far and the electoral commission, which replaced an old, discredited body, promised a credible vote.

Kenyatta, the deputy prime minister, achieved the 50 per cent mark by a tiny margin of about 8,400 votes out of the more than 12.3 million that were cast.

Both sides relied heavily on their ethnic groups in a nation where tribal loyalties mostly trump ideology at the ballot box. Kenyatta is a Kikuyu, the biggest of Kenya’s many tribes, Odinga is a Luo. Both had running mates from other tribes.

John Githongo, a former senior government official-turned-whistleblower, urged the rival coalitions, Odinga’s CORD and Kenyatta’s Jubilee, to ensure calm. “Jubilee and CORD, what you and your supporters say now determines continued peace and stability in Kenya. We are watching you!” he said on Twitter.

How Western capitals deal with Kenya under Kenyatta and the extent they would be ready to work with his government will depend heavily on whether Kenyatta and his running mate William Ruto, who is also indicted, cooperate with the tribunal.

“It won’t be a headache as long as he cooperates with the ICC,” said one Western diplomat. “We respect the decision of the majority of the Kenyan voters.”

Both Kenyatta and Ruto deny the charges and have said they will work to clear their names, though Kenyatta had to fend off jibes during the campaign by Odinga that he would have to run government by Skype from The Hague.

“Until now, Kenyatta has been co-operating with the court and we do hope this will continue,” said Fadi El-Abdallah, spokesman for the Hague-based court. “This is part of Kenya respecting its legal obligations under international law.”

Kenyans hope the vote, which has so far passed off with only pockets of unrest on voting day, would restore their nation’s reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies after killings last time left more than 1,200 dead.

Many Kenyans have said they are determined to avoid a repeat of the post-2007 chaos that brought the economy to a halt.

Church leaders in Kisumu, in the west of Kenya that was devastated five years ago, sought to defuse tension this time.

“Our vote was stolen and we’re angry,” said Denis Onyango, a 28-year-old mechanic, as hundreds of Odinga supporters gathered with members of the security forces nearby. “Why did they bring such huge security here if the vote was to be free and fair.”

Some said it was time to move on. “I urge our candidate to forget the presidency and let the will of God prevail,” said cloth vendor Diana Ndonga.

Many shops stayed closed as a precaution in the port city of Mombasa, another Odinga stronghold, but streets were calm.

“We are heading for a bleak future where the economy goes down and international relation sour because of the ICC case,” said Athumani Yeya, 45, a teacher in the city.

Others were hopeful that Kenyatta could bring change.

“We are celebrating. Even with the ICC case in Holland, the people of Kenya still have faith in him,” said Thomas Gitau, 25, a bare-foot car washer on a main Mombasa street. “We hope he can fix infrastructure and security so we have more jobs.”

Odinga’s camp had said even before the result that they were considering a court challenge. In 2007, he said the courts could not be trusted to handle the case. Kenyatta’s camp had also complained about counting delays and other aspects of the vote.

But many Kenyans said this race was more transparent. Turnout reached 86 per cent of the 14.3 million eligible voters.