After more than three decades of serving as a Bishop in the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe,
Bishop Michael Bhasera has resigned at 73.
In an a statement released by the Apostolic Nuncio in Zimbabwe, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli in
Harare on july 19, “His Holiness Pope Francis accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of
the Diocese of Masvingo, presented by the Right Reverend Michael Dixon Bhasera.”
Details on why he has resigned before the usual retirement age (75) for Catholic Bishops have
not been revealed yet.
Pending the nomination of a new Bishop, Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Robert Ndlovu
of Harare as the Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Masvingo.
Bishop Bhasera served the dioceses of Gokwe for eight years (1991-99) and Masvingo for
twenty-three years (1999-2022).
Through his service in these two dioceses, he became the only Catholic Bishop in Zimbabwe to
have been an inaugural shepherd of two dioceses.
He was appointed bishop of Gokwe diocese at its erection in 1991 as well as of Masvingo when
it was established in 1999.
The diocese of Gokwe was established as an offshoot of the diocese of Hwange while Masvingo
came from Gweru diocese.
Bishop Bhasera also served as the Apostolic Administrator of Gweru diocese on two occasions
when Bishop Munyanyi resigned in 2012 and after the death of Bishop Xavier Munyongani in
2017.
He was also the principal consecrator at the consecration of the two aforementioned late Bishops
of Gweru as well as the two previous bishops of Gokwe diocese, Bishop Angel Floro in 2000
and Bishop Rudolf Nyandoro in 2017.
Bishop Emeritus Bhasera was born in November 1949 and was ordained a priest in August 1978.
At the time of his resignation, he had served for 44 years in the Roman Catholic priesthood, 31
of those served in the episcopate.
The resignation of Bishop Bhasera leaves two Catholic Dioceses of Gokwe and Masvingo
without bishops.
By Nobert Rwodzi SJ
English