THE CAUSE OF BEATIFICATION AND CANONISATION OF THE SERVANT OF GOD JULIUS KAMBARAGE NYERERE, LAY FAITHFUL, FATHER OF A FAMILY AND STATESMAN

In 2005 the late Bishop Justin Samba of the Diocese of Musoma and TEC requested the Holy See to declare Nyerere a saint.

On May 13, 2005 the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI declared Julius Kambarage Nyerere the Servant of God which was also the first step for the start of the beatification and finally canonisation to sainthood.

All along, the competent forum for the Diocesan Inquiry on the Servant of God “Mwalimu” Julius Nyerere has been the Diocese of Musoma. 

The Diocese of Musoma created the tribunal and began to interview people who knew Mwalimu. But along the way, it became obvious that the Diocese of Musoma is not in a good position to carry out this process effectively in terms of both location and resources.

The Bishop of Musoma requested the Conference and the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam to consider the shift of competent forum from Musoma to Dar es Salaam keeping in mind that Mwalimu Nyerere spent a good part of his life in Dar es Salaam, most of the witnesses are in Dar es Salaam and Dar es Salaam is easily accessible for witnesses who are found dispersed all over the country and beyond.  

On the 2 May 2014 – the Congregation for Causes of Saints issued a rescript that canonically permitted the competent forum for the Diocesan Inquiry on the Servant of God “Mwalimu” Julius Nyerere from the Diocese of Musoma to the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam. It also legitimized the change of the Petitioner of the Cause from the Diocese of Musoma to the Tanzania Episcopal Conference, legitimized in the Extraordinary Meeting held on 7 November 2013.

The Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam has nominated the officials of both the Tribunal and the Historical Commission in Dar es Salaam. With that, the rescript permitting Musoma to proceed with the Rogatory Priocess has been issued.

The consultors of the Congregation of Causes of Saints regard this cause as of maximum priority, as manifested in their unusual willingness to act so fast in transferring the competent forum to Dar es Salaam and have  expressed that the Cause of Mwalimu Nyerere is the most important cause that comes out of Africa now, a model of political holiness that is essential in the Church today.