Rwanda’s Cardinal Antoine Kambanda was last week appointed to the Vaticans Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP), responsible for coordinating the Catholic Church’s missionary work globally. He was among other seven cardinals appointed by Pope Francis to become members of the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. Kambanda, who is also the Archbishop of Kigali Diocese, was assigned new duties days after being among the 13 new cardinals created by Pope Francis during the consistory, a solemn assembly of cardinals summoned and presided over by the Pope, held on November 28 in St. Peters Basilica at the Vatican, Rome. A Cardinal is appointed to have a role in the Popes administration of the Universal Church and Kambanda’s appointment in the CEP will be his particular role in the administration of Pope Francis as he expresses his mission as a Cardinal in practical terms. In an exclusive interview with The New Times, Kambanda said that his appointment officially marks the beginning of his service as the Cardinal and that he is looking forward to playing an impactful role during his service. “The Congregation for the People is the heart of the life and activities of the Catholic Church and it touches the principal mission of the Church. It is this congregation that trained and sent missionaries to Africa and the world to bring us the Good News of Salvation. So I am happy to be at the forefront of this mission today,” Kambanda said in an interview. The Congregation for the Evangelisation of the People is particularly responsible for the Church’s mission land or which more or less corresponds to developing countries in Africa, Asian, Latin America and Oceania. Kambanda will be assuming his services from Rwanda and will only be going to Rome from time to time when it is required. Rome is the head office coordinating the Church’s administration. “I am particularly happy for this mission because it is a field which corresponds most to my mission in the Archdiocese of Kigali as I also remain working in my diocese,” he said. He is also confident that his appointment will benefit the Catholic Church in a way or another, especially in terms of missionary duties. “If, from Rwanda, I am given this mission then it means the Church in Rwanda is also to become missionary. We are called to take part in organizing and training missionaries to be sent to other parts of the world where the Word of God has reached yet,” he explained. Antoine Kambanda, was elevated to cardinal in October by Pope Francis, to become the first Cardinal Rwanda has ever had. The rank of cardinal in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is a very high one, and it is only lower than the honor of being consecrated a Pope.
