The Holy Father has appointed Rt. Rev. Willybard Lagho, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Malindi, as a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Bishop Lagho is currently serving as the chairperson of the Commission for Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism (CIRDE), at the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB). He is also the Chairperson of the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), a national body that promotes harmony among Kenya’s diverse religious communities.
His appointment to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, underscores the Vatican’s recognition of his leadership potential in restoring peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths.
The Vatican’s announcement means that bishop Willybard Lagho will be joining a distinguished panel of church leaders from around the world, tasked with supporting the Church’s mission of conducting dialogues with other religions.
Other notable appointees to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue include prominent cardinals from across the globe. Among them are Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, S.V.D., Archbishop of Tokyo, Japan; Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv., Archbishop of Teheran-Ispahan of the Latins in Iran; and Cardinal Frank Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, Canada.
Bishop Lagho was appointed the first indigenous Kenyan bishop of Malindi in 2020. His appointment to the Dicastery position will give him platform to further global efforts in building bridges between faiths.
