Report by publication. East Africa has revealed that the President of Tanzania and the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, met and discussed several social issues.
In the end, both sides agreed to strengthen ties between the church and the East African country. President Samia expressed satisfaction with the role of the Catholic Church in promoting social welfare in Tanzania, particularly education and health care.
The president visited the Vatican at the request of the pope, accompanied by a delegation of Catholic leaders from his home country.
The Vatican issued a statement Monday shortly after the president met with the pope, noting how friendly and productive the meeting was. According to the statement, the main topic of discussion was Tanzania’s current relationship with the Holy See.
“Samia also met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, as well as Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s Secretary of State.” I read a report by the East African newspaper.
The last time a Tanzanian head of state visited the Vatican was in 2007 when Jakaya Kikwete was president. He then met with the late Pope Benedict XVI.
From September 1 to 5, 1990, the late Pope John Paul II visited Tanzania and met with former presidents Hassan Mwini and Julius Nyerere.
On October 1, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI met with the late former President of Tanzania, Benjamin William Mkapa, at the Vatican.
Approximately 12 million people in Tanzania are Catholic, making up more than 25% of the country’s total population of 61 million.
According to East Africans, “The Catholic Church in Tanzania is the main social service provider, primarily providing education and health through the 240 nursery schools, 147 primary schools, 245 secondary schools, 110 vocational training centers, and 5 universities established in Tanzania. This is one of the. These universities enroll her more than 31,000 students pursuing higher education in major educational fields. ”