Pope appoints Ziyaye archbishop of Lilongwe, transferred from Blantyre
Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has appointed His Grace Tarcisius Gervasio Ziyaye as archbishop of Lilongwe Dioence in Malawi’s capital.
According to the Apostolic Nunciature (Vatican embassy) in Lilongwe, Ziyaye has since been transferred from Archiepiscopal See of Blantyre.
He succeeds Archbishop Remi Joseph Gustave Sainte-Marie, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
Episcopal Conference of Malawi deputy secretary general Father Emmanuel Chimombo said yesterday that there was no immediate replacement for Ziyaye in Blantyre Archdiocese which will continue operating under Auxiliary Bishop Montfort Sitima.
Archbishop Ziyaye, aged 60, was named an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Dedza by the late Pope John Paul II on November 26, 1991. He was consecrated and installed as Auxiliary Bishop on May 23, 1992.
Ziyaye was named Coadjutor Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lilongwe, Malawi by Pope John Paul II on May 4, 1993. He succeeded as Bishop of Lilongwe on November 11, 1994.
In 2000, he became the President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi. He was named Metropolitan Archbishop of Blantyre by Pope John Paul II on January 23, 2001.
Ziyaye became the President of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (A.M.E.C.E.A.) in July 2008.
Catholic is an influential church in Malawi.
