Cancellation of Pope Francis' visit explained

Mar 23, 2014

THE Pope wrote an official communication to the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and to the Episcopal Conference Secretariat

By Juliet Lukwago

MONSIGNOR John Baptist Kauta, the secretary to the Uganda Episcopal Conference, has said that Pope Francis expressed gratitude for his invitation, but regretted his failure to come to Uganda as originally slated, because of his busy work schedule.

Kauta said at his office at the Catholic Secretariat, Nsambya, that the Pope wrote an official communication to the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and to the Episcopal Conference Secretariat.

According to Kauta, the Pope said that he would be busy with the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of the Bishops on the Pastoral under the theme ‘Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization’ scheduled to be held in October in Rome.

The Episcopal Conference last week also postponed the national celebrations that are being organised to mark the Golden Jubilee of the 22 Uganda Martyrs since canonization. The occasion had been originally scheduled to be held in October this year, a period that coincided with the Pope’s Synod.

The Vice-Chairman of Episcopal Conference, Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa said that the Uganda Martyrs sensitization programs would continue to take place in dioceses, but depending on each diocese’s plans.

The prelate said that in his diocese, Kiyinda-Mityana, the Martyrs programs are continuing with Christians paying pilgrimages to their sites.

Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito-Lwanga said that now that the celebrations for the Martyrs’ jubilee have been pushed to a future date, they would take advantage to continue with the deepening of the sensitization of the Martyrs known in Luganda as “ekikungo ky’Abajulizi.

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