Land is widely regarded as a valuable asset that never loses its worth, with many considering land ownership as the best way to secure wealth. Ordinarily, the government is the largest land owner the Catholic Church holds the second-largest amount of land in Rwanda.
Sources reveal that the Catholic Church first acquired land during the German colonial era, significantly expanding its holdings during the Belgian colonial period and beyond.
The land law established by Belgian colonizers in 1943 granted religious institutions, research organizations, and government entities the right to request unused land from colonial authorities, which was often provided at no cost.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Bishop Rukamba confirmed that the Catholic Church owns vast amounts of land, though he did not specify the exact amount.
However, he highlighted that a large portion of the land is used for the benefit of Rwandans.
"People say it, and it could be true because our land is not just for ourselves. For example, the government recently built schools; many of them were built on Church land. We use Church land to build schools, residences for priests, health facilities, and work with Christians or help them to exploit the land,' he said.
Data from the Ministry of Education shows that schools owned by the Catholic Church or those managed in partnership with the government total 142, accounting for 28.2% of owned schools.
Bishop Rukamba emphasized that in areas where the land is cultivated by a large number of citizens, reclaiming it could lead to significant problems for the government. Therefore, they decided to allow the citizens to continue using the land.
"There are many fields cultivated by citizens, and they give a small token in return. For example, in Save, a large number of people cultivate the land because it is one of the oldest parishes, with many people depending on that land. Removing them would cause significant issues for the government."
Bishop Rukamba confirmed that although the land is cultivated by citizens, it remains registered under the Catholic Church.
IGIHE was unable to determine the exact amount of land owned by the Catholic Church in Rwanda, but within its nine dioceses and around 200 parishes, the Church holds substantial tracts of land used for infrastructure and other activities.
The fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census (RPHC5) in 2022 revealed that the Catholic Church has over 5 million followers, accounting for 40% of the Rwandan population, followed by ADEPR with 21%.
Earlier this week, Pope Francis appointed Father Jean Bosco Ntagungira to replace Bishop Rukamba as the new leader of the Butare Diocese, as the latter steps into retirement.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/bishop-rukamba-discusses-catholic-church-s-land-ownership
