By Mathias Mazinga

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala has partnered with the Irish Diocese of Down and Connor to reduce domestic violence. The programme is also aimed at promoting love, peace and reconciliation.

The Archbishop of Kampala, Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, made the disclosure during celebrations to mark the Archdiocesan Day at Rubaga Cathedral on Sunday.

Christians also commemorated 84 years since the inauguration of the cathedral.

Lwanga said the programme was a follow up of the deliberations of the month-long meeting of African bishops, which Pope Benedict XVI closed in Rome on October 25.

Lwanga, Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala and other bishops attended. “In our synod, we had delegates from other continents. This is because issues of peace, justice and reconciliation, which were the focus of our deliberations, are a concern of not only Africa, but the entire globe,” Lwanga said.

Three Catholic bishops and social development workers from Trocaire, a development organisation of the Catholic Church based in Ireland, attended the four-hour mass.

Lwanga appealed to Christians to protect the environment so as to save the country from the disastrous effects of climate-change.

He also urged the congregation to be agents of peace and reconciliation. Lwanga announced the Priests’ Year and introduced Fr. Raphael Ssekalegga, 100, the oldest priest in Uganda and the first to be ordained at Rubaga Cathedral.

He officially closed the Pauline Year and announced the creation of St. Kizito Matugga parish, which was curved off Jinja-Karoli parish.

The pastoral coordinator of the archdiocese, Fr. Dr. Lawrence Ssemusu, said sh154m was collected from this year’s Ssabasumba annual fund.

The money will be used to construct an administration block for the archdiocese.