Kigali Archbishop Msgr. Kambanda says he was surprised by his promotion to the level of Cardinal
Msgr. Antoine Kambanda, Archbishop of Kigali who was announced on the list of those Pope Francis has promoted to the level of Cardinals, said it was a surprise to him because he did not even think about such a great step.
In an interview with the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency, Msgr. Kambanda attributed the promotion to Almighty God who decides everything.
“I thank God, he who decides everything. It is something I never thought possible, but by the power of God, I also thank His Holiness Pope Francis for bestowing this trust on me and even surprising me because I did not know about that. People have been telling me and now I get the truth.” He said
To his surprise, however, he was ready to accept it and thank God. “So, I’m thankful to God because I believe in Him with all my heart and in my life, I decided to serve Him.” He added
“I am confident that I will have the opportunity to serve God more fully in the Church as a God-ordained family in the way of proclaiming His love and the gospel of salvation.” He noted
President Kagame recently paid a visit to the Vatican at the Pope’s office in 2017.
Since then it has been seen as a good sign to revive Rwanda’s good relations with the Catholic Church.
Asked if his promotion was related to improving the relationship between the Catholic Church and Rwanda, Bishop Kambanda said that the fact that Rwanda has a good relationship with the Catholic Church is also good to the Holiness consideration.
However, at the Church level, the Pope is looking at the Christian faith, the Church’s activities, especially in creating a more brotherly community, and spreading the gospel to help people to know God and His name, Msgr. Kambanda explains
“So, putting all this together, it is not me personally, but the Church of Rwanda and the Nation, because the journey we have made is clear, and the message we do, the Church in the world sees there is a testimony and a contribution to evangelism in general and in the work of the Church we do.” He added
He explained that in general the Cardinals’ responsibilities concern the Church and the evangelism in general in the world. “As a Church in Rwanda, we are proud to be able to contribute to the voice of our evangelism in general in the world,” he said.
As for whether he will assume his responsibilities in Rwanda, he said he would continue, unless they gave him another mission, but that the same responsibilities could also be assigned to another bishop or priest.
