Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, the Archbishop of Kigali, is Rwanda’s first cardinal whose personal and profound loss in the country’s 1994 genocide gave him the impetus to work towards his nation’s reconciliation and healing.

Born on November 10, 1958, in Rwanda, Kambanda’s early life was marked by tragedy and displacement due to inter-ethnic violence. His family was forced to move to Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya for his education before he returned to Rwanda to pursue his religious vocation.

Kambanda attended the junior Seminary in Rutongo, Kigali, and later the Saint Charles Borromeo Major Seminary of Nyakibanda in Butare. In September 1990, he was ordained as a priest by Pope John Paul II who was on a pastoral visit to Rwanda at the time.

Following his ordination, Kambanda served as Prefect of Studies at the minor seminary of St. Vincent in Ndera, Kigali. He furthered his education at the Alphonsian Academy in Rome, where he obtained a doctorate in moral theology.

During the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi, Kambanda suffered further personal tragedy and devastating personal loss when his parents and five of his six siblings, along with many other relatives and friends, were killed. The tragedy deeply influenced his perspective on reconciliation and healing, and Kambanda has emphasized the importance of using the sacrament of penance to help foster forgiveness and resolve ethnic hatred.

Kambanda’s career in the Church has been marked by steady progression and increasing responsibilities. He served as the Director of the diocesan office of Caritas in Kigali, head of the “Justice and Peace” Commission, and professor of moral theology. In 2006, he was appointed rector of the Saint Charles Borromeo Major Seminary of Nyakibanda.

In September 2005, he was appointed rector of the inter-diocesan major philosophy seminary in Kabgayi. On 10 February 2006 Kambanda was appointed rector of the Saint Charles Borromeo Major Seminary of Nyakibanda.

In June 2011 he led five hundred Rwandan pilgrims Namugongo, Uganda, to join the Martyrs Day ceremonies to commemorate the 45 Christian converts who were killed in 1884 by King Mwanga II of Buganda. In his homily, he said that the sacrifice the martyrs made had greatly helped the spread of Christianity in Africa by showing missionaries that converts would be willing to die for their faith

In May, 2013, Pope Francis appointed Kambanda as Bishop of Kibungo and then Archbishop of Kigali in November 2018. His most significant elevation came on November 28, 2020, when Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal, making him the first cardinal from Rwanda.

Cardinal Kambanda has been appointed to several important positions within the Catholic Church. He is a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Congregation for Catholic Education. In August 2022, he was appointed as Spiritual Protector and Chaplain General of the Orléans obedience of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem.

Spurred on by his own personal suffering, Cardinal Kambanda is known for his passionate commitment to peace and reconciliation, which has been a central theme in his ministry. He has addressed the complex role of the Catholic Church during the atrocities; he acknowledged that while some clergy members tried to protect people, others were complicit in the killings.

In other areas, Kambanda is firmly opposed to abortion and same sex “marriage.” “There cannot be marriage of man to man, or woman to woman. Marriage is between man and woman,” he has said. Although he has not spoken out about same sex “blessings,” it is likely he aligns with his brother bishops in Africa in rejecting Fiducia Supplicans.

In his role as a leader in the Rwandan Catholic Church, Kambanda faces the ongoing challenge of rebuilding trust and fostering healing in a nation still grappling with the aftermath of the genocide. His emphasis on this area means he has spoken little or not at all about hot-button topics of concern primarily to the West.