Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Father Dominic Eibu as the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kotido.
Bishop-elect Eibu, a Comboni priest born in Lwala, Kalaki District, in Soroti Catholic Diocese, will replace Bishop Giuseppe Filippi whose retirement has been accepted upon reaching the mandatory age limit of 75 years. He becomes the third bishop of Kotido.
Under Code 401 of the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, a diocesan bishop who has reached 75 years of age is requested to present his resignation from office to the Pope. The process of finding a successor starts thereafter.
Bishop Filippi, who is 77 years, has been at the helm of Kotido Diocese since 2009. In a statement dated October 25, Archbishop Luigi Bianco, the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda says the Pope has also nominated Bishop Filippi as Apostolic Administrator of the same diocese until the new bishop is installed.
In the statement, Archbishop Bianco congratulates the Bishop-elect and invokes abundant blessings upon his pastoral ministry. He also thanks Bishop Filippi, for what he calls “generous service as Bishop of Kotido” for over 12 years.
Born on 30 April 1970, Bishop-elect Eibu went to Moroto High School for his secondary education and Apostles of Jesus Seminary, also in Moroto for his high school.
Thereafter he attained a Diploma in Philosophical and Religious Studies from the Queen of Apostles Philosophical Centre in Jinja, in 1996; a degree in Philosophy from Pontifical Urban University, in Rome, in 1996; and another degree in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, in 2002.
He gave his perpetual vows on 12 January 2002, was ordained a deacon in Rome, in March 2002 and a priest on 15 August 2002 in Lwala, Soroti Diocese.
In 2005, Bishop-elect Eibu earned a Licentiate in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the Pontifical Institute of Arabic Studies and Islamology. His thesis was on Religious Freedom in Islam.
In his priestly journey, Bishop-elect Eibu has served as Director of Comboni Primary School in Khartoum, Sudan between 2005 and 2006; Vice provincial superior of the Comboni Province of Khartoum from 2008 to 2013; Member of the College of Consultors for the Archdiocese of Khartoum from 2013 to 2016; and Secretary of the Council of Priests in Khartoum Archdiocese from 2013 to 2016.
Other duties include as Secretary of Education Office in Khartoum Archdiocese from 2013 to 2016; Director of Sacred Heart Church School in Sakakini, Cairo, Egypt, from 2017to 2018; Member of the Education Committee of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) from 2017 to 2020; and Member of the Committee of Organisations collaborating with the UNHCR from 2017 until his latest appointment.
Since 2020, he has been a Member of the College of Consultors of the Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria, Egypt; Vice provincial Superior of Comboni Province of Egypt-Sudan; and Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Church in Sakakini, Cairo. He speaks several languages including English, Italian, Arabic, French; Kumam, Ateso, Lango, Acholi, Ngakarimojong, Luganda and Kiswahili.
Earlier today, Bishop Giuseppe Filippi made public a letter dated October 23 written to him by Bishop-elect Eibu who is currently serving in Sacred Heart Parish in Cairo, Egypt. In the letter, Bishop-elect Eibu expresses gratitude towards the Pope for the trust and choosing him to be the next Bishop of Kotido. He thanks Bishop Filippi for his service and dedication to Kotido Diocese. “May the seeds you sowed continue to grow, being constantly watered and preserved for a greater harvest for the Lord,” he says. Bishop-elect Eibu sends greetings to the priests, religious and the faithful, praying to God to prepare for their meeting and the work ahead.
Kotido Diocese was curved out of Moroto Diocese in May 1991. That year Pope John Paul II elected Denis Kiwanuka Lote as its first Bishop. The diocese comprises the Districts of Kotido, Kaabong, Karenga and Abim in northeastern Uganda.
In June 2007 Bishop Kiwanuka Lote was appointed Archbishop of Tororo creating a vacuum in Kotido which was filled with the appointment of Bishop Filippi as his replacement.
Bishop Eibu’s elevation continues a long tradition of Comboni missionaries in the Karamoja area. The first Comboni Missionaries arrived in Karamoja in 1933. The area later became part of the Apostolic Prefecture of Gulu, entrusted to the Comboni Missionaries. In 1965, the Diocese of Moroto was set up and put in the hands of the Comboni Missionaries under Bishop Sisto Mazzoldi.
In 1981, Bishop Mazzoldi was succeeded by Bishop Paul Kalanda who served as Bishop of Moroto until 1991 when he was transferred to Fort Portal. This same year, in 1991, the diocese was split to create Kotido Diocese.
