For the past two days, debate has been raging on social media following a group of individuals identifying themselves as 120 Catholic members who presented a petition to the Vatican Embassy in Dar es Salaam on January 05, 2025. The petition targets the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi, and the Secretary of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Father Charles Kitima.
The petitioners, led by Macledeo Shilinde and Lucy Michael, submitted their letter calling on the Vatican to review the positions of the two clerics, citing alleged involvement in politics based on their public statements.
The debate has intensified online due to what critics describe as the petitioners’ lack of understanding of Catholic and Christian culture, questions surrounding their political affiliations, and concerns over the religious identities of other members of the group, which reportedly include individuals from different faiths. Some observers view the initiative as part of a broader attack on the Catholic Church following its pre-election stance and its statement following the killings that occurred during election-day protests.
“We, Macledeo Shilinde and Lucy Michael, are catholic members. On behalf of more than 120 catholic members from Dar es Salaam and other regions, we are petitioning against Bishop Ruwacha to the Pope,” Lucy Michael, who is also known for her role as secretary of the ruling party CCM youth wing at Yombo Dovya in Temeke, said.
The group has drawn strong criticism online, largely due to perceptions of inauthenticity in relation to the practices of ordinary Catholics. One of the earliest points raised concerned their attire during the petition presentation. Most of the women wore outfits commonly used at local social parties, popularly known as “Vijora.” Critics noted that Catholic women—and Christian women more broadly—typically wear “vitenges” for church-related activities. In the Catholic Church, which is generally more conservative, women often wear vitenge branded with symbols from their respective church communities.
A second issue raised involved the choice of song during the opening of their press conference. The group selected a song widely associated with Pentecostal churches. Critics argued that such songs and melodies are rarely, if ever, used in Catholic functions, whether formal or informal.
A third concern centered on errors in basic church terminology and technical phrases that are widely known among Catholics and Christians. For example, Lucy Michael referred to the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam as Bishop Ruwacha instead of Ruwa’ichi, despite his prominence as Archbishop. Throughout the petition, she emphasized that it was presented to Pope XVI instead of Pope Leo XIV.
Lucy also mistakenly referred to TEC as TAC, described the Church as an “institution of one man,” a phrase that many questioned what it means as far as Christianity goes, and referred to the Church as a “Christian body” rather than “the body of Christ.” She further struggled with scripture references, mispronouncing Corinthians—referred to as Wakorintho in Swahili—as Wakorintio, and failing to distinguish between chapters and verses of the Bible.
The Petition
Explaining the petition, Macdeo Mackeja Shilinde—who appeared more familiar with Catholic terminology than his colleague—said the petition was prompted by statements made by Archbishop Ruwa’ichi and Father Kitima.
“We have prepared a petition aimed at bringing a serious canonical charge against the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, Ruwa’ichi. After the faithful lawfully exercised their right to write a letter to the Vatican, this Archbishop used the altar, the sacred place of the Word of God, to publicly insult the faithful, using words such as calling people fools, hungry, ignorant, and questioning the legitimacy of their Christianity, which is unjust,” Shilinde said.
He continued: “Spiritual leaders should remember that spiritual authority is a service, not a weapon of intimidation. Let the altar remain a place for the Gospel, not a platform for insults. Let the Church remain a voice of justice, peace, and unity, not a pillar of party politics.”
When asked to provide further details about his church membership, Shilinde argued that he had already shared such information during an end-of-year press conference in 2025 and stated that he could not recall basic details, such as his membership number, from memory.
The initiative is one of several developments following the Catholic Church’s statement issued after the October 29 protests and subsequent security crackdown that resulted in the deaths of civilians. In that statement, the Bishops condemned the killings, called for accountability, demanded an independent inquiry, and urged the government to release the bodies of the deceased.
Following the statement, the first wave of responses came from Muslim leaders across the country, many of whom criticized the Catholic Church, arguing that its position was political. Some claimed the Church opposed the president because she is Muslim. Some statements from self-identified clerics warning of beheading people prompted intervention by the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner. These attempts to stoke religious division were met with resistance from many youths, who responded online through skits and memes. Many have analyzed the pattern for pushing religious tension for political expediency following demand for accountability over the killing of civilians.
More Issues
A significant wave of verbal attacks has also been directed at Father Charles Kitima, the Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference, who was hospitalized after being physically assaulted on April 30.
Following his interview with journalists on December 01, 2025, where he clarified several issues, including explaining that his meeting with the Prime Minister was private. The first public attack came from a Muslim cleric who called for Kitima to be investigated, accusing him of being malicious against the government of Tanzania.
On December 22, 2025, Elia Faustine and Stanslaus Thobias Nyakunga held a press conference, stating that they had submitted a petition against Father Kitima to the Vatican Embassy, alleging that the Vatican should intervene because Kitima was involved with the opposition party CHADEMA.
In response, Archbishop Ruwa’ichi addressed the issue during his Christmas address.
“The day before yesterday, I heard some fool saying that Catholics, represented by him, have written a letter to the Ambassador of the Holy Father against Father Charles Kitima, saying that Catholics have a complaint against Father Charles Kitima. Is there any truth in that? You Catholics of Goba Maria, is there any truth to this?” Bishop Ruwa’ichi said.
He continued: “And that person who was saying such things, in his foolishness, even dared to be a hypocrite by wearing a rosary around his neck so that we might think he is truly a Christian. That person is not a Christian; he is a puppet, a double-dealer, a traitor who commits evil, promotes lies, and pretends that he represents Christ.”
Following the ceremony, Mackdeo Shilinde—who had presented the petition alongside the “120 Catholic members”—held a press conference with Gerald Abel on December 27, 2025, denouncing Ruwa’ichi’s statement and warning that they would tour the country to persuade Catholics to oppose the Bishops, claiming they were preaching a gospel of peace.
Several other Bishops have since defended the Church. During a New Year’s Eve ceremony, Bishop Eusebio Kyando warned that the Church cannot be divided, stating that “people can leave the church but not divide it.”
Reacting to Monday’s petition, prominent politician Godbless Lema warned that such actions could lead to a religious crisis.
“I am certain that what is happening against Catholics is not a joke or entertainment, but rather open contempt, mockery, and ridicule directed at Catholics and the Christian faith as a whole. This is a very dangerous step for the nation,” Lema warned.
He added: “A joke of this kind cannot even be imagined being done by Christian youth against Islamic religious institutions. Just try to imagine, even for a single second, Christian youth pretending to be Muslims and then marching to BAKWATA. What would the situation be like? The answer is obvious—things would take a completely different direction.”
