Images Courtesy of: (left to right): Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Daniel Ibanez, Diocese of Kokstad, Missionaries of Africa, and Comboni Missionaries
Vatican City – Pope Leo XIV has made significant new appointments to the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), with a notable emphasis on strengthening African representation. The Holy See Press Office announced these appointments on June 24, underscoring the growing influence of African Church leaders within the Vatican’s administrative structures.
Among the latest appointees are five prominent figures ministering in Africa, all of whom are already members of ICLSAL. This diverse group includes two Archbishops, two Bishops, and one Priest who currently leads a Society of Missionaries.
The newly appointed African members are:
- Cristóbal Cardinal López Romero, of the Catholic Archdiocese of Rabat in Morocco. Cardinal Romero, 72, originally from Spain, was ordained a Salesian of Don Bosco (SDB) Priest in 1979.
- Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi, 71, of Tanzania’s Catholic Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam. A member of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM Cap.), he was ordained a priest in 1981 and previously served on the Order’s governing body.
- Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa, 52, of South Africa’s Catholic Diocese of Kokstad. Bishop Mbuyisa, a member of the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries (CMM), was ordained a priest in 2000 and has held significant leadership roles within the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. His appointment is particularly seen as a proud moment for the Church in Southern Africa.
- Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, 55, Auxiliary Bishop of Ethiopia’s Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa. Bishop Gebresilasie, a Comboni Missionary of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ), made his perpetual profession in 1994 and served as MCCJ Superior General before his episcopal appointment in 2024.
- Fr. Stanley Lubungo, 58, the Zambian-born Superior General of the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers/MAfr.). Fr. Lubungo has extensive missionary experience, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and as a formator in Ivory Coast.
These appointments reflect a broader trend of increasing recognition for the vibrant and rapidly growing Catholic Church in Africa. The inclusion of these five influential African leaders in such a key dicastery highlights the Vatican’s commitment to incorporating diverse global perspectives into its governance and decision-making processes, particularly from a continent where Catholicism continues to see significant growth.
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