Bishop Carlos Matsinhe retires

Maputo, 15 Jul (AIM) – The chairperson of Mozambique’s National Elections Commission (CNE), Anglican Bishop Carlos Matsinhe on Sunday retired as head of the Anglican church in Mozambique.

At the service marking his retirement, President Filipe Nyusi, praised the contribution of the Anglican Church to achieving peace in the country.

He claimed that Matsinhe himself had played a role in the negotiations between the government and the rebel movement Renamo which led to the General Peace Agreement signed in 1992. “With approximately 45 years of consecrated life, we can say, without a doubt, that his grace Dom Carlos Matsinhe has given his life in the service of the Church and Mozambique”, said Nyusi.

Nyusi added that Matsinhe has worked for the “Christian faith, a faith sustained in a collective way from the family, through the church to society as a whole”.

He stressed the role played by the church in promoting respect, concord, coexistence and harmony, and for this reason it was a partner of the government in building a prosperous Mozambique for all.

Carlos Matsinhe, who is retiring at the age of 70 as Bishop of the Diocese of Libombos, will be replaced by the Vicar of the Diocese of Libombos, who will lead the diocese until a new Bishop is appointed.

For his turn, the deputy chairperson of the CNE, Fernando Mazanga, commenting on Matsinhe’s retirement, said that “what pleases me is that I’ll now have more time with Matsinhe as CNE chairman, because splitting it with the church was a bit complicated, but now we’ll see if we can work full-time and bring a good image to the CNE.”

According to Mazanga, it is very important that the society is moralized “and never use the church for perverse purposes. The church should be used for good, peace and reconciliation.”

(AIM)

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