Tanzania’s foreign minister holds irenic meeting with Pope, 2 months after bishops denounced government repession

January 29, 2026

Pope Leo XIV received Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, on January 28.

Kombo’s papal audience came three months after government forces violently repressed post-election protests. Pope Leo lamented the violence in his November 2 Angelus address; the nation’s episcopal conference denounced government oppression and called for an independent investigation.

In reporting on the meeting, the Vatican, as is customary, did not divulge the contents of the conversation. The Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, however, offered extensive details.

Kombo “expressed the Government’s appreciation for the Pope’s consistent emphasis on peace, dialogue, and the dignity of the human person,” reiterated the government’s “deep appreciation for Catholic institutions that continue to support education, health, and social development in Tanzania,” and “reaffirmed the Government’s recognition of the important role played by the Tanzania Episcopal Conference in the social and civic life of the nation,” according to the ministry’s statement.

Kombo, according to the statement, “further noted that Tanzania values the Catholic Church’s moral leadership in promoting unity, compassion, and hope, particularly during moments of political transition.”

The Pope, in turn, promised to pray for Tanzania and fondly recalled visiting missionary communities there.

Kombo subsequently met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. “During the discussions, Minister Kombo welcomed the Holy See’s request for Tanzania to establish a resident diplomatic representation to the Vatican,” the statement noted.

Tanzania, a nation of 69.1 million (map), is 55% Christian (22% Catholic), 34% Muslim, and 10% ethnic religionist.

 

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Further information:

• Pope Leo meets with Tanzania's Foreign Minister (Vatican News, 1/28/26)
• Tanzania Deepens Diplomatic Cooperation with the Holy See (The United Republic of Tanzania, 1/28/26)