Friday, July 4, 2025 - Head of the Catholic Church Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Willybard Kitogho Lagho of the Catholic Diocese of Malindi to serve as a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
The appointment, announced on Friday, July 4th,
positions Bishop Lagho within one of the main departments of the Roman Curia -
the administrative body that assists the Pope in governing the global Catholic
Church.
Bishop Lagho currently chairs the Commission for
Inter-Religious Dialogue and Ecumenism (CIRDE) under the Kenya Conference of
Catholic Bishops (KCCB).
He is also the Chairman of the Inter-Religious Council of
Kenya (IRCK), which promotes peaceful coexistence among Kenya’s religious
communities.
The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue promotes mutual
understanding and cooperation between the Catholic Church and non-Christian
religions.
It fosters respect, theological exchange, and joint
initiatives for peace, social justice, and protection of creation.
The Dicastery operates with commissions tailored to specific
religious traditions, such as the Commission for Religious Relations with
Muslims, and works in collaboration with other Vatican departments and global
church bodies.
Born on March 23rd, 1958, Lagho was ordained a
priest in 1987 and appointed Bishop of Malindi in December 2020.
He was consecrated on March 19th, 2021.
His appointment marks a notable recognition of Kenya’s
growing role in promoting interreligious harmony on the international stage.
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