The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda-the Most Rev Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu has reiterated the Church’s gratitude to the government and [the President] for signing into law, the anti-homosexuality Act 2023.
“This is about protecting our children. The Church is very grateful that we can partner with the government to ensure that African values, biblical values and natural order are kept.”
Archbishop Kaziimba said that the Church of Uganda stopped getting support from the Episcopal Church of America when they consecrated a gay man in 2003 and, later broke off with the Church of England “which is going to be blessing same sex marriages”.
Archbishop Mugalu said this during a courtsey visit to Vice President Jessica Alupo at her country home in Katakwi on Sunday 30th/July/2023.
The Archbishop was accompanied by Bishop Kosea Odongo of Soroti Diocese and several other dignitaries.
In her brief remarks, the Vice President expressed her gratitude for the visit, a gesture that she described as a ‘blessing’.
“From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the acceptance of the Archbishop to come and pay a courtesy visit, bearing in mind you’ve come to serve all the districts and people of Teso region, as you do for the entire country. It is a very big honour and priveldge for my family, it is by the grace of God that this occasion can happen and indeed, I return all the Glory to God,”Alupo said.
The Vice President further remarked; “Allow me appreciate your commitment in serving all people of Uganda equally without discrimination; I have heard you welcome everybody to the table of God.”
She thanked the prelate for his role in the Inter Religious Council (IRCU) as current chair.
“You have demonstrated that working together as humanity is a priority and an agenda that should be pursued by all of us as a country, emulating our motto, For God and my country,” she added.
Alupo said Religious institutions,have been at the centre of socio-economic transformation in very many institutions such as health and education.
“I would like to thank you very much, on behalf of Government for this symbiotic relationship”, the VP stated, adding that she is a product of religious education of several denominations-Including Ngora High School and Kangole Girls schools-both church founded; for which she was very grateful.
The VP referenced her own family’s belief, faith and trust in church. “We believe-as Christians, that you come with blessings and we take them. We know that without God, we are nothing.”
Earlier, the Vice President told the guests that Cattle rustling is being handled by Government and will be expedioustly dealt with.
The Vice President and her family gave gifts of appreciation to the Archbishop as token to his family.
His Grace the Archbishop who started with a worship Song, expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome accorded to him and his entourage. He was in company of Rev. Bishop Odongo Kosea of Soroti Diocese-whom he referred to as a prophet after he prophesied that he (Rt.Rev Dr.Mugalu) would become Archbishop -back in the day when the two served in Mukono.
Mugalu-a father of boys said he runs a campaign to mentor boy children, often left behind, or disorganised in society. “I have been preaching that men should understand their responsibility to work and support their families, instead of waking up every morning to drink. I need your support Your Excellency in order to have our girl children protected (by these men) very well so that we have a peaceful family set up.”
Dr. Mugalu thanked the Vice President for her humility and hardwork, love and care and for always looking out for church projects.
“She has helped us a lot, she is a Roman Catholic but we don’t feel that because she serves all people regardless of faith. I want to appreciate you for that,”Mugalu added, referring her to the book of the Bible 2Samuel 7: 18-29, which chronicles a prayer by David, to thank God for His blessings.
“God will always pick people of His Choice. God has a tendency of picking a nobody, to become somebody infront of everybody without consulting anybody. That is God,” he preached to the Vice President and her family. “God always chooses God always elevates those he chooses. That is Him and His prerogative,” he added, as he thanked the Vice President for serving diligently as a leader for the entire country-without discrimination.
He thanked her for supporting the Church of Uganda and the Inter Religious Council of Uganda for all their socio-economic programs. He expressed the Church’s gratitude to Government for the tractors that the dioceses are using in agricultural transformation on different dioceses.
Mugalu gave the Church’s commitment to ensure the sensitisation of the people in the socio economic programmes, in stopping corruption, discouraging laziness, exploitation, and, fighting moral decadence.
The Bishop also condemned the “minor attraction” which is intended to reduce defilement age to 11 or 12. In a positive twist though, Archbishop Mugalu said that
In spite of Church of Uganda’s stand attracting some condenmation, the church has, however, seen other partners who have promised to work with Uganda. “There some good people also. There are those who are few, very vocal, very aggressive, they have money, we ignore them. We are only willing to partner with all those who are committed to follow the right order”, Mugalu stressed.
Archbishop Kaziimba said while managing scarce resources one must have joy then then practice joy whose initials he summarizes as “Jesus first, Others next the Yourself last” adding that joy entrench strong virtues and creates better transparency during service delivery.
Kaziimba explained that the Church of Uganda has retrained it’s clergy who are now religious captains to handle adverse situations and personalities to bring them back to acceptable societal etiquette and revealed that the inter council organization of Anglican church in East African has appointed him pioneer leader of the religious captains for Christ in the region.
Among the retrained clergy is Bishop Captain Kosea Odongo and he is already handling problematic communities such as slums, prison communities etc, Bishop Kazimba intimated
Later, Rev Kosea Odongo, prayed for more Grace for the leadership of the country.
As courtsey, the Vice President had invited several other members of her family, including her mother and the local district leadership.
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