Pope Leo XIV has appointed a Kenyan Catholic Bishop to a new role, months after he took over from the late Pope Francis. The Roman Catholic Pontiff appointed Rt. Rev. Willybard Lagho, Bishop of Malindi, to the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue (DID).
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Catholic Justice and Peace Department announced the appointment of Rt. Rev Lagho on Friday, July 4, in a congratulatory message.
According to the Holy See, the DID promotes and supervises relations with members and groups of non-Christian religions, except Judaism.
“The Catholic Justice and Peace Department congratulates Rt. Rev. Willybard Lagho, Bishop of Malindi, on his appointment by Pope Leo to the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. A shepherd of peace, dialogue, and understanding. Your witness inspires our mission,” the department said.
Bishop Lagho, the current Bishop of Malindi, was born on March 23, 1958, in Taita-Taveta.
He currently serves as the chairperson of the Commission for Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism (CIRDE) at KCCB and is the chairman of the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), a national body that promotes harmony among Kenya’s diverse religious communities.
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Profile of Rt. Rev. Bishop Lagho
Bishop Lagho studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga and theology at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi.
His journey in the church began in earnest when he was ordained as a deacon on December 21, 1985, at the age of 27, serving the Archdiocese of Mombasa.
Just a few years later, he was ordained a priest, continuing to minister within Mombasa.
Bishop Lagho’s dedication and leadership saw him appointed as Bishop of Malindi on December 28, 2020, at 62 years old.
He was officially ordained as bishop on March 19, 2021, at St. Anthony Cathedral in Malindi, a position he has been serving until his new appointment by Pope Leo XIV to the DID.
The bishop holds a master’s degree in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and a licentiate in Arabic and Islamic Studies, earned in Cairo and at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) in Rome.
He has also held international roles, including serving as a consultor for the former Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (2008–2014), and as a consultant with Danmission, a missionary agency of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark (2015–2016).
Since 2011, he has led the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC), fostering collaboration among Christian, Muslim, and traditional religious leaders in coastal Kenya.
Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
The Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue is currently headed by His Eminence Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, who was appointed as Prefect by the late Pope Francis.
The DID also comprises a Secretary, an Under-Secretary, episcopal members and consulters from all continents who work to ensure that dialogue with the followers of other religions takes place in an appropriate way, with an attitude of listening, esteem and respect.
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It further fosters various kinds of relations with them so that, through the contribution of all, peace, freedom, social justice, the protection and safeguarding of creation, and spiritual and moral values may be promoted.
The Dicastery’s also assists diocesan/eparchial bishops in the formation of those who engage in interreligious dialogue.
Recognizing the different religious traditions that sincerely seek God, the Dicastery provides specialized personnel for these different areas.
Other Functions of the Dicastery
To promote relations with followers of different religious beliefs, commissions are established in the DID under the direction of the Prefect and in cooperation with the relevant Episcopal Conferences and hierarchical structures of the Eastern Churches, including the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims.
The DID, when required, proceeds in consultation with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and, if necessary, with the Dicasteries for the Eastern Churches and for Evangelization.
In carrying out its functions, the Dicastery proceeds and plans its initiatives in consultation with the particular churches, Episcopal Conferences, their regional and continental groupings and the hierarchical structures of the Eastern Churches.
The Dicastery also encourages particular churches to undertake initiatives in the field of interreligious dialogue.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Rt. Rev. Bishop Lagho to the DID months after he was officially inaugurated as the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on May 18, 2025.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States picked up the name Leo XIV after his election on May 8, 2025, as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church during the papal conclave. His predecessor, Pope Francis, passed away on April 21.
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