The appointment of Mons. Jean Désiré Razafinirina and Mons. Wilbroad Henry Kibozi for the Malagasy and Tanzanian Episcopal Sees, respectively, was published by the Holy See Press Office on Monday, February 12.
Mons. Jean Désiré Razafinirina
Born in June 1975 in Madagascar’s Toliara Archdiocese, Mons. Razafinirina was ordained a Priest for the same Archdiocese in August 2003 after completing his priestly studies and formation at St. Jean Baptiste Major Seminary.
Until his Episcopal appointment, the holder of a Licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome was serving as Rector and lecturer at St. Jean Baptiste Major Seminary of Vohitsoa.
He previously served as educator at the Minor Seminary of Toliara, Cathedral Vicar, and Parish Priest of Notre Dame de l’Assomption in Sakaraha.
Mons. Razafinirina has also served as parish Priest of the Cathedral of Toliara, a member of the College of Consultors, and a formator at the Major Seminary of Vohitsoa, Fianarantsoa.
After his Episcopal Consecration, the Bishop-elect will become the fourth Local Ordinary of the Malagasy Diocese, which became vacant in November 2022 following the transfer of Bishop Zygmunt Robaszkiewicz to Mahajanga Diocese.
The Diocese, which is part of Toliara Ecclesiastical Province has a population of 53,769 Catholics, representing 7.6 percent of the total population, according to 2021 statistics.
Mons. Wilbroad Henry Kibozi
In the February 12 Papal appointments in Africa, Mons. Kibozi of the Clergy of the Archdiocese of Dodoma has been appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of the same Metropolitan See and assigned the titular see of Zallata.
The Tanzanian Bishop-elect, who, until his Episcopal appointment, was serving as Vice Rector and lecturer at Holy Family Major Seminary in Kahama was born in April 1973.
He was ordained a Priest in July 2010 after completing his priestly studies and formation at Ntungamo Major Seminary in Tanzania’s Bukoba Diocese and Kipalapala Major Seminary in the East African country’s Tabora Archdiocese.
As a Priest, Mons. Kibozi has served in various capacities, including Assistant Parish Priest of Lumuma; Vocations Director of Dodoma Archdiocese; and confessor in the House of Formation in Livorno.
The alumnus of the Theological Faculty of Central Italy in Florence where he obtained a licentiate and a doctorate in Dogmatic Theology will, once Consecrated Bishop, assist the 66-year-old Archbishop Beatus Kinyaiya in shepherding the 38,743 square kilometers Archdiocese.
Erected in January 1935 as Vicariate Apostolic of Bagamoyo, the Tanzanian Metropolitan See that was elevated to the Archdiocese of Dodoma in November 2014 has a population of 450,511 Catholics representing 23.9 percent of the total population, according to 2021 statistics.