{"id":228303,"date":"2026-02-17T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/?p=228303"},"modified":"2026-02-18T13:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T12:32:10","slug":"antidius-kaijage-seminarista-tanzania-formacion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/antidius-kaijage-seminarista-tanzania-formacion\/","title":{"rendered":"Antidius James, Tanzanian seminarian: \u00abPeople in Spain who believe, really believe\u00bb.\u00bb"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Antidius James Kaijage is 29 years old and a diocesan seminarian. Thanks to the help of the partners, benefactors and friends of the CARF Foundation, he is in Spain training at the University of Navarra and resides at the Bidasoa Seminary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was born in the diocese of Bukoba, in Tanzania, in the heart of Africa. He is the fifth of eight siblings and grew up in a <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/familia-cristiana-amoris-laetitia\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/familia-cristiana-amoris-laetitia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deeply catholic family<\/a>, where faith has always been a part of daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00abWe received a Catholic education from the beginning,\u00bb she says. Her parents and siblings live their faith naturally and consistently: Sunday Mass and, on vacations, the <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/parroquia-para-kenia\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"295\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">parish<\/a> became almost a second home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SEMINARIAN FROM TANZANIA IS TRAINED IN PAMPLONA \u271d\ufe0f\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gs_y6d47uB8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"donde-estudia-antidius-james\">Where does Antidius James study and train?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Today Antidius is in the fourth year of <strong>Theology<\/strong> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unav.edu\/web\/facultad-eclesiastica-de-filosofia\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.unav.edu\/web\/facultad-eclesiastica-de-filosofia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarre<\/a> and has been living in the <a href=\"https:\/\/seminariobidasoa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/seminario-internacional-bidasoa-fundacion-carf\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bidasoa international seminar<\/a>. He is far from his homeland, but not from his vocation. \u00abGod willing, he will choose me as a priest of his Church,\u00bb he says humbly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"el-ejemplo-de-su-parroco-encendio-su-corazon\">The example of his parish priest kindled his heart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/sacerdocio\/vocacion-sacerdotal\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/sacerdocio\/vocacion-sacerdotal\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vocation<\/a> was not born out of an extraordinary event, but from the simple and constant treatment of the sacred, and from the example of her parish priest. If I had to point to a specific moment, it would be the consecration during the <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/partes-de-la-misa-catolica-explicada\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"167732\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mass<\/a> of his parish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00abI really liked the way the <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/servir-a-la-iglesia\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/servir-a-la-iglesia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pastor<\/a> I celebrated the Mass with great respect. Especially the time of the consecration, the preface... I was very attentive and it felt good,\u00bb he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was just a child, but that solemnity, that silence, that silence loaded with <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/misterios-gloriosos-del-santo-rosario\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"167751\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mystery<\/a>, ignited a flame. Enthusiasm then grew in the parish choir, youth activities and community life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00abWhen we would join together at home for prayer, that also influenced me a lot, because. <strong>the life of the priest is a community life<\/strong>Being with the people, serving, consoling, accompanying\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"la-figura-de-unos-padres-para-discernir-y-apoyar-su-vocacion\">The figure of a parent to discern and support their vocation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your entry into the <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Seminario\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seminar<\/a> was not easy. Her parents were hesitant at first. They told him: \u00abChildren have many desires, but when youth comes, everything changes\u00bb. They feared it was a passing illusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Methodius-Kilaini-768x1024.webp\" alt=\"seminarista tanzania iglesia formaci\u00f3n antidius\" class=\"wp-image-228306\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.750007629627369;width:700px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Methodius-Kilaini-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Methodius-Kilaini-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Methodius-Kilaini-113x150.webp 113w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Methodius-Kilaini-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Methodius-Kilaini.webp 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Antidius with Bishop Methodius Kilaini, who sent him to the Bidasoa seminary for training.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But Antidius\u00ab desire was not extinguished. On the contrary, he grew up in the midst of adolescence, with its questions, its concerns, its moments of family tension and its desire to be with friends. \u00bbMy parents were always teaching me, always correcting me,\" he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, they gave him permission and their blessing. <strong>He entered the seminary supported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/san-bartolome-apostol-martir-testigo-24-agosto\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"217557\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">faith<\/a> of his family.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"la-iglesia-en-tanzania\">How is the Church in Tanzania<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Diocese of Bukoba has <strong>150 priests and 766,970 baptized Catholics, nearly 61 % of the population<\/strong> of 1,255,679 people. Catholicism is the majority there, but it is not without its challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00abThere are some Catholics who change the <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/blog-de-religion\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"170170\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">religion<\/a> natural of their parents and enter other small religions for economic, psychological, ideological, family or personal reasons\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Church suffers when those who have received the <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/fiesta-del-bautismo-del-senor\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"227506\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Baptism<\/a> and the sacraments go away. <strong>That is why he insists on formation, preaching, constant education in the faith.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is also a real material need. \u00abMy diocese needs financial help to do its spiritual, family, pastoral activities better, <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/sacerdocio\/formacion-de-sacerdotes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">academic<\/a> and to assist people in need, so that they are not tempted to deny their faith,\u00bb says Antidius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u00abWe need trained priests, with a universal vision.<\/strong>. Seminarians who can study abroad, learn more and better how the universal Church is, have a global mind in their daily ministries\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"libertad-religiosa-y-amenaza-latente\">Data on religious freedom: latent threat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tanzania is constitutionally a country with religious freedom.<strong>.<\/strong> Religion is separate from government, although there are points of connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Christians represent between 55 % and 63 % of the population.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Catholics between 25.6 % and 27 %.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Protestants between 27.7 % and 29 %.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Muslims between 31.5 % and 35 %.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, <strong>the threat of jihadism worries them<\/strong>. \u00abTanzania faces a latent threat, although not on the same scale as our neighbors in Somalia, Kenya or Mozambique.\u00bb Especially on the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar, which is where the Muslim population is in the majority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Faced with the problems that arise between the different denominations, this seminarian explains that education, dialogue, political cooperation, control of financing... are important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Antidius-768x1024.webp\" alt=\"Antidius, seminarista de Tanzania en el seminario internacional Bidasoa\" class=\"wp-image-228304\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.750007629627369;width:695px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Antidius-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Antidius-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Antidius-113x150.webp 113w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Antidius-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Antidius.webp 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Antidius, next to a painting of St. Joseph in a room in Bidasoa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00abThe first thing is to put love and charity, and then everything is solved little by little.\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"humildad-y-paciencia-para-evangelizar\">The humility and patience necessary for evangelization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Antidius also reflects on evangelization in secularized societies, something he is observing in Spain. For him, the starting point is clear: \u00abmissionary humility, patience (as Africans have), active listening skills and empathy\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He adds that personal witness has a great power of attraction, both in daily life and through social networks. And he points out as something essential: \u00abto speak the truth about the faith and the teaching of Christ without fear, because that is how the apostles and the Fathers of the Church lived it\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"espana-le-ha-sorprendido\">Analyzing faith in Spain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>He was coming to a country with a long Christian tradition<\/strong> and discovered a nation where many are \u00abevent Catholics, but not practicing Catholics. He verified it in his pastoral experience: \u00bbFaith is present in weddings, baptisms, communions, Holy Week, processions... but not in the attendance to the Holy Mass, which is the center of the mystery of our salvation,\u00ab he laments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, he admires the fact that many Spaniards have great devotion and respect for the Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in spite of some shadows, he confesses that he is learning a lot in our country, he is positively surprised by the coexistence in the seminary, the education, the care for customs and norms, and he highlights something hopeful: <strong>\u00abpeople who believe, really believe\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"lo-que-africa-puede-ensenar-a-los-espanoles\">What Africa can teach Spaniards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Antidius affirms that Spaniards and Africans can learn from each other for evangelization, but points out some traits of African Catholics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patience in all areas of life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Celebration of the Mass with all the heart, with participation from the beginning to the end, in songs and prayers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Living the faith in everyday life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Listen before you speak.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pride in Christian identity: \u201cI am a Christian\u201d, without shame.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Resilience in the face of persecution: strength to keep the faith in dangerous conditions, kidnappings and direct attacks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Msgr-Jovitus-Mwijage-768x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-228305\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.750007629627369;width:698px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Msgr-Jovitus-Mwijage-768x1024.webp 768w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Msgr-Jovitus-Mwijage-225x300.webp 225w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Msgr-Jovitus-Mwijage-113x150.webp 113w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Msgr-Jovitus-Mwijage-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Obispo-Msgr-Jovitus-Mwijage.webp 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Antidius with his current bishop, Bishop Jovitus Mwijage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"el-sacerdote-del-siglo-xxi\">The priest of the 21st century<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This Tanzanian seminarian speaks of the priesthood with an awareness of today's challenges. \u00abToday's priest must integrate human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions to respond to a secularized, technological and constantly changing society.\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For him, he must cultivate the gift of people and kindness in order to generate trust and overcome individualism. In addition, he must acquire a solid cultural and theological formation to respond to all the questions of this century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00abBut, above all, he must be a man of deep and constant prayer with God, which is the source of his apostolate and his identity,\u00bb he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"la-identidad-sacerdotal\">How to understand the identity of the priest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>And be clear about the <strong>priestly identity and fidelity to the magisterium<\/strong>, spirituality centered on the altar and the Eucharistic sacrifice. As St. John Bosco says: \u00abPriest of Jesus Christ, celebrate this Holy Mass as if it were your first, your last, your only Mass\u00bb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it concludes with a simple and powerful image: <strong>\u00abthe priest of the 21st century is called to be a good shepherd, a father, a brother, to present and identify the presence of God and who lives in the kingdom of God\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marta Sant\u00edn<\/strong>journalist specializing in religion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#donde-estudia-antidius-james\">Where does Antidius James study and train?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#libertad-religiosa-y-amenaza-latente\">Data on religious freedom: latent threat<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#humildad-y-paciencia-para-evangelizar\">The humility and patience necessary for evangelization<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#la-identidad-sacerdotal\">How to understand the identity of the priest<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Antidius James Kaijage is a young man from Tanzania who is in Pamplona studying theology. The CARF Foundation maintains its mission to help seminarians and diocesan priests from all over the world in their integral formation. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":228307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[190,121,249,182],"class_list":["post-228303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historias","tag-pamplona","tag-seminarista","tag-tanzania","tag-testimonio"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228303"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":228387,"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228303\/revisions\/228387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}