TRIBUTES TO CARDINAL LAURIAN RUGAMBWA

Memoirs of Cardinal Rugambwa:  His last Journeys to Europe and Bukoba

By

 

Fr. Stan Mutajwaha, PhD.

Catholic Diocese of Bukoba, Tanzania

(Writing from USA)

(1) Introduction:

 Dr. Deogratias Rweyongeza of Edmonton has created this blog to make it possible and easy for all of us to share our good memories of Cardinal Rugambwa.  I was privileged to accompany His Eminence on two of his last but significant journeys while still alive. The first was the journey from Africa to Europe the continent where in the year 1960 Rugambwa was elevated onto a unique pedestal as the first African Cardinal. The second was a shorter though not less important journey that took him from Dar es salaam to Bukoba the place of his birth, childhood and earlier ministry first as diocesan priest and later as a Bishop. Without a doubt the few words that I heard His Eminence say on these journeys and the things he did during those few days, roughly one year before his death cannot totally define the kind of person he was. Still, they could serve as indicators into the character and beliefs of the man whom we can all rightly feel very proud of acknowledging as our star.

The main reason for His Eminence’s last journey to Europe was to participate in the celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Priestly Ordination of Pope John Paul II, November 1996, in Rome. The Holy Father had extended his invitation to all the priests from all over the world who were ordained in 1946, the year of his ordination and all the Cardinals - the Princes of the Church. Pope John Paul II wanted these to join him as he thanked God for his 50 years of the priesthood, which according to the title of the book he wrote to mark the event he regarded as “Gift and Mystery”.

(2) Aim and approach:  The aim of this account is to share my viewpoint of the greatness of Cardinal Rugambwa judging from the few but very enlightening occasions I was lucky to be close to him. In order to avoid making the reading too long and tedious, I shall be posting short paragraphs, once in a while. It is only at the end of my story that I shall highlight the inferences that the different incidents could lead us to draw, even from this tiny segment of a honorable life, for a larger and more comprehensive picture of the true legacy of our beloved Laurean Cardinal Rugambwa, who among the people in Bukoba went by the name Nyakutununta.

To be ontinued: The next Post will speak about His Eminence’s flight Dar es Salaam to Rome.