Catholic Professionals of Tanzania (CPT) is one of the church groups in Tanzania well recognized within the Church and the Tanzanian society at large.  For the past three years, activities of the movement focused on Moral Revival Movement (MRM).

Activities

– Reflection on Ethics in Public Policy Making. Currently, CPT members are involved in engaging public leaders and politicians on how to come up with policies that safeguard the welfare of every Tanzanian. This ongoing reflection is aiming at holding a bigger Forum (2019) in commemoration of two decades since the demise of Mwalimu J. K. Nyerere. The theme will be “People centred Development.”  A number of topics will be explored. They include: Pro-poor Economic Policies, Family Friendly Policies, Social Protection, Education for Self-Reliance, Ethics Financial Services, Public Accountability and Responsibility

– Radio Programme: CPT in collaboration with Radio Tumaini runs a weekly programme on MRM- some of the topics covered include: The meaning of MRM; Theological meaning of the MRM; Family and its role in MRM; Cultural Factors/Aspects in MRM; Role of Politics in MRM; Ethics in Financial Services; Moral Aspects in Social Protection.

– Animation visits are made to various Dioceses. CPT has been organizing animation visits are made to various Dioceses aimed at enhance peer learning among dioceses in areas of MRM. In 2018, visits were made to about 30% of all Dioceses.

– Civic Education: CPT has a history of actively participating in various national socioeconomic and political issues. During the period 2011-2015, CPT took an active lead in the constitution making process, even though the country has not managed to get a new constitution. CPT also takes an active role in sensitizing the citizenry to make informed political choices including electing responsible leaders.

Challenges

– Tanzania is going through interesting but also difficult political transformation since the 2015 general elections in a manner that requires a prophetic response of CPT. The planned congress to commemorate two decades since the demise of Mwalimu J. K. Nyerere offers an opportunity to reflect on the current political status of the country.

– Catholic Professional in Tanzania are not quite present in the church. They are often reluctant to take up an apostolic commitment in line with Vatican II as well as the Social Doctrine of the Church. They are not responding to Pope John Paul II’s call in Christifideles Laici, who has challenged lay faithful never to relinquish their participation in ‘public life’ especially at this time when Tanzania is undergoing such an unprecedented political transformation.

– The Social Dimension of the Gospel has not been fully localized in Tanzanian as it is the case in other countries. In this struggle to make Social Doctrine of the Church practicable we decided to prepare an abridged version on the teaching of Vatican II to bring awareness to the faithful on how the Council encouraged the Church to teach the Social Gospel.

Hopes for CPT

– We hope that with abridged version of Vatican II, followed by animation programme, there will be some progress in Social Pastoral Ministry in our country.

– We belief that the Young people are the future of CPT. In this regard, we are looking into establishing a seamless transition of young people in Tanzania Movement of Catholic Students to Catholic Professionals of Tanzania.  

– The planned congress to commemorate two decades since the demise of Mwalimu J. K. Nyerere in 2019 offers an opportunity to reach out to a larger public.