FUNCTIONS OF TANZANIA EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE:
To provide a means whereby the Bishops exercise certain pastoral functions both internal to the life of the Church and external in terms of the church's service to humankind.
An intermediary Curia between the Holy See (the Roman Curia) and dioceses (the Dioceses Curia).
To see a pastoral endeavour arising from the common concerns of Bishops.
The main roles of the Catholic Secretariat are:
To coordinate national, pastoral, social and development programmes initiated and implemented by the General Secretariat.
To facilitate diocesan activities on pastoral, development and social programmes.
To implement the decisions made by the Plenary Meeting.
To render different services to the Dioceses i.e. clearing of goods, processing visa, passports and registration of hospitals, schools, dioceses as society, trustee, etc.
To link the dioceses with national and international organizations.
To offer consultancy and advisory services to the dioceses and TEC affiliated associations/organizations.
The day to day running is done bythe Catholic Secretariat staff headed by the Secretary General helped by 9 Executive Secretaries heading departments. The General Secretariat has nine (9) Departments, nine (9) Commissions and two (2) units.
THE TEC DEPARTMENTS:
Finance and Operations Department:
It is a custodian of the funds of TEC. It is responsible for managing and controlling resources of TEC. and income generating projects.
The Pastoral Department:
It is entrusted with the facilitations and coordination of pastoral activities of the Church
Health Department:
It coordinates and facilitates the efforts of the Church in providing health services.
Caritas Tanzania:
It is responsible for coordinating and facilitating development and relief activities of the Church.
The Communications Department:
The Department is charged with responsibility of promoting communications activities of the Church.
The Lay Apostolate Department:
It is responsible for coordinating and facilitating the activities of lay apostolate movements, and associations at national level. It also promotes the involvement of the laity in the activities of the Church.
The Education and Seminaries Department:
The Department is entrusted with the promotion of education services rendered by the Church. It coordinates and facilitated the education institutions owned and managed by the Church in all levels.
The Liturgy Department:
It is responsible for promoting the liturgical activities in the Church. It involves itself in the translation of liturgical books, compilation of hymns and songs and empowering the diocesan liturgy directors on matters related to liturgy.
THE UNITS:
Building Bureau:
The Unit is responsible for supporting the Church in planning, design, building and maintenance of various edifices.
THE COMMISSIONS:
The Armed Forces and Prisons Commissions:
The Commission is responsible for promoting the pastoral ministry in the armed forces and prisons in the country.
The Pastoral Care of the Migrant and Itinerant People Commissions:
It is responsible for promoting the pastoral care of seafarers, fishermen and displaced people.
The Theological Commission:
The Commission deals with theological issues by doing research and Interpretation.
The Canon Law Commission:
The Commission is entrusted with legal affairs of the Church. It involves itself in interpreting laws, rules and regulations of TEC and the Church in general. It also assists dioceses and TEC affiliated associations or movements in developing constitutions. In accordance with the law of the Church (Canon Law).
The Justice and Peace Commission:
The Commission is responsible for promoting justice and peace in Tanzania in the spirit of the Social Teaching of Church. It builds the capacity of the diocesan justice and peace officers, by training them, carry out research for promoting peace and justice. It also runs various programme e.g. Democracy, Good Governance.
The Ecumenism and Interreligious Commission:
The Commission enables the Catholic Church to relate with Christian Churches and other religions.
The Tanzania Commission for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life:
The Commission is responsible for promoting religious life and creates good relationship among religious