By Rev. Canon Erich Kasirye
The fraternity among Anglicans in Luwero has been wounded as battle for control of Church land takes on new twist.
Following a litany of land scandals which have rocked the Anglican Church for the last several years, which have left many senior clerics either suspended, interdicted or even expelled; it was resolved by the24th Provincial Assembly that all church land should be held in trust by the Registered Trustees of the CoU as the legal entity.
At the moment most Dioceses have resisted this move, alleging that, it represents an imperialistic ploy aimed at ecclesiastically ‘colonizing’ and dominate Dioceses. Critics further contend that this legislative strategy represents a simplistic technocratic response to the problem of rampant land fraud, which requires long-term collaborative response to the vice.
Having failed to break the dead lock between Dioceses and Church headquarters, it is feared that the Province plans to infiltrate the electoral processes in Dioceses to install ‘puppet’ Bishops that will promote provincial interests.
For instance, in Luwero Diocese, massive protests against nomination process have largely been levelled against Rev. Mere; suspected of being a mole. They have also questioned how a candidate who does not hail from the Diocese (foreign candidate) and lacks minimum requirements for the see of Bishop can quickly scoop his place on the nomination list. For instance, he does not minimum bachelor’s degree in either Theology or even Divinity. He is not aged 45 years and above.
While ecclesiastical experts are awkwardly twiddling their thumbs and wondering whether the Luwero conflict is for the better or not; one thing is clear-that this is testament that divisions in Church Christians are never a result of dogma, sacraments or ministries — none of which by God’s singular grace we fully and universally preserve.
On the contrary, they are a result of political options that grow into ideologies taking priority over religious and ecclesial considerations and leading up to a complete abandonment of the value and the duty of obedience in the church.
At stake however, is whether candidates from out of the Diocese can ever have a chance to contest for coveted see of Bishop or not. Yet foreign candidates are usually armed with a wide array of skills and knowledge to help reset the Diocesan agenda for the new post covid-19 reality.
Bishop Eridard Nsubuga is expected to retire in July 2023 when he clocks a mandatory retirement age of 65 years. During his 7 year tenure, Church has engaged in concrete joint works of charity, education and efforts through her vast networks of churches to promote human dignity which has helped people rediscover their fraternity, and communion to the praise of God.
AUTHOR
Rev. Canon Erich Kasirye
CHAPLAIN, KAMPALA CAPITAL CITY AUTHORITY
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