Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, emeritus Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, dies at 81

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Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, the Archbishop Emeritus of Dar es Salaam and one of Tanzania’s most prominent Catholic leaders, has died at the age of 81.

Cardinal Pengo’s death was announced on February 19 by Archbishop Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi of Dar es Salaam, who said the Cardinal passed away while receiving treatment at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), a national specialised cardiovascular hospital in Dar es Salaam. The funeral program was expected to be released on Friday, February 20^th.

Born on August 5, 1944, in Mwazye, Tanzania, Pengo began his priestly formation at the minor seminary in Kaengesa (1959–1964) before proceeding to Kipalapala Major Seminary for philosophical and theological studies (1965–1971).

Vatican news reported that Cardinal Pengo was the second Tanzanian to be elevated to the College of Cardinals, following Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa, who was made a cardinal in 1960 by Pope John XXIII and died in 1997.

Pengo was elevated to the cardinalate in 1998 by Pope John Paul II and served as Archbishop of Dar es Salaam until his retirement in 2019.

Early years and priesthood

Pengo was ordained a priest on 20 June 1971 and served as Secretary to the Bishop of Sumbawanga for two years. He later pursued advanced studies in Rome, earning a doctorate in Moral Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University in 1977.

Upon his return to Tanzania, he briefly lectured at Kipalapala Theological Seminary before becoming the first Rector of Segerea Theological Seminary in Dar es Salaam, a role he held from 1978 to 1983.

Archbishop of Dar es Salaam

His episcopal ministry began on 11 November 1983, when Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Nachingwea. He was consecrated bishop on 6 January 1984, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In 1986, he was transferred to the newly established Diocese of Tunduru-Masasi in southern Tanzania.

On 22 January 1990, he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Dar es Salaam and succeeded Cardinal Rugambwa on 22 July 1992, as Metropolitan Archbishop.

A defining moment in his ecclesial journey came on 21 February 1998, when Pope John Paul II created him a cardinal and assigned him the titular church of Nostra Signora de La Salette. As a member of the College of Cardinals, he participated in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI and the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Service to the universal Church

During his tenure, Cardinal Pengo held several key positions within the universal Church. He served as President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) from 2007 to 2009 and was a member of various Vatican dicasteries, including the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Pontifical Council for Culture. He also served on the Special Council for Africa of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

After 27 years at the helm of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 15 August 2019, upon reaching the canonical retirement age of 75.