Tanzania President Samia Suluhu’s Talks With Pope Francis were concluded on Tuesday after her official visit to the Vatican. Among other crucial cooperation and coordinated approaches to their long-term relationship, both the Vatican and Tanzania agreed to strengthen diplomatic relations as well as peace promotion and social development in Africa.
President Samia said that she was satisfied with the contribution of the Catholic Church in promoting social welfare in Tanzania, mostly in education and health provision. The Catholic has been heavily involved in creating equal opportunities for the underserved across Tanzania. This has been through the opening and commissioning of health centers, mission hospitals, and schools that have massively contributed to the overall socio-economic development of Tanzania.
She landed in the Vatican City after a direct invitation from the Pope and was accompanied by leaders from Tanzania’s Catholic Church associations made up of youth, men, and women congregation groups.
The Vatican said in an official dossier that the discussions were cordial and mostly focused on the current relations between Tanzania and the Holy See.
Samia Suluhu’s talks with Pope Francis also highlighted “the important role that the Catholic Church plays in the country in favor of the population, especially in the charitable, educational, and healthcare spheres.”
They also had discussions on the social context in Tanzania and “the challenges the country is required to face.”
Moreover, Samia Suluhu’s talks with Pope Francis also sought to focus on the regional situation and international current affairs. Both Her Excellency and the Pope expressed their mutual wish for an “ever greater commitment to the promotion of peace.”
Samia also held discussions with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in the company of the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.
Diplomatic relations between Tanzania and the Vatican were established on April 19, 1968, when Archbishop Pierluigi Sartorelli was appointed as the first representative of the Vatican (The Holy See) to Tanzania.
Tanzania has about 12 million Catholic believers, almost a quarter of its total population of 61 million people.
The Catholic Church in Tanzania is among the leading social services providers, mostly education and health through its 240 nursery schools, 147 primary schools, 245 secondary schools, 110 vocational training centers, and five universities all established in Tanzania.
The universities are registered with more than 31,000 students pursuing higher studies in key fields of education.
Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) is among the leading higher learning institutions in Tanzania with campuses in Mwanza, Dar es Salaam, and other key urban areas in Tanzania.
Former president Jakaya Kikwete was the last Tanzanian head of State to visit the Vatican in October 2007 where he met the late Pope Benedict XVI.
The late Pope John Paul II visited Tanzania from September 1 to 5 1990 then met former presidents Julius Nyerere and Hassan Mwinyi.
Pope Benedict XVI met with the former Tanzanian president the late Benjamin William Mkapa at the Vatican on October 1, 2005.
The catholic church in Tanzania has been a key cog in Tanzania’s social and economic resurgence. The Vatican-based institution runs 240 nursery schools, 147 primary schools, 245 secondary schools, 110 vocational training centers, and five universities. It also operates at least 473 health facilities.
Samia Suluhu’s Talks With Pope Francis And Way Forward For Tanzania
After the conclusion of talks with the Vatican, Her Excellency will travel to Norway as she attempts to woo investors into Tanzania’s economy. The East African nation has recovered well from the biting effects of COVID-19; World Bank projections estimate that it will be one of the fastest-growing economies in the region within the next 5 years.
As part of her efforts to market Tanzania to the world, Her Excellency brought in an international filming crew to shoot a documentary on the country’s tourism back in 2021. “What I am doing is to promote our country Tanzania internationally. We are going to film attraction sites,” she said on her move to have an international crew in Tanzania.
As Her Excellency continues on her quest to market the great lakes nation and attract investors, it remains to be seen the amount of success she accumulates. Public sector corruption remains one of the most damaging economic evils in Tanzania and the East Africa region at large. Compared to its neighbors, Tanzania seems to be on a better path going forward.
