The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, is taking part today, Sunday (14), in the Maxaquene Pavilion, in the Service of Gratitude for the Priesthood and Episcopate of Dom Carlos Matsinhe, Bishop of the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola, on the occasion of his passing into retirement.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Libombos and Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Mozambique and Angola (IAMA), Dom Carlos Matsinhe, is due to retire in the next few days.

A statement issued by the IAMA says that Matsinhe is retiring due to his age limit. Dom Carlos Matsinhe will be 70 years old on October 2nd, thus reaching the age limit for that position.

As a rule, bishops retire after reaching the age of 70, but it seems that Matsinhe's retirement process has been accelerated so that he will be out of the leadership of the Diocese of Libombos by October 9, the date of the general elections.

Recently, in a letter announcing the start of Bishop Matsinhe's retirement process, the Anglican Church in Mozambique said that it had suffered a blow in the past, without being hurt, stressing that it intends to re-establish unity within the religious congregation, having chosen a theme for this year around which activities should be carried out.

"In view of the turmoil and disquiet affecting all of us and the Church in general, after reflection, listening and prayer, we have decided that the theme of the current year is to rescue greater unity between the clergy, the laity and the whole Church. In this sense, the theme is: Where there is unity, the Lord commands blessing and life forever, taken from the book of Psalms".

However, although the letter does not mention the cause of the tremor, the truth is that Dom Carlos Matsinhe's religious authority has been called into question by believers in the Anglican Church since he abstained in the early hours of October 26 from voting in the final results of the October 11 local elections, which were considered fraudulent in several circles.

(Photo DR)