End domestic violence, Archbishop Obbo urges families
Obbo condemned violence against children, parents and neighbours, questioning why people who profess to be Christians would turn their homes into places of fear and suffering.
A section of pilgrims attending a Mass at St. Matia Mulumba, Kyebando in Mayuge district on Sunday. (Credit: Betty Angatai)
The Archbishop of Tororo, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Obbo, who also serves as apostolic caretaker of Jinja Diocese, had urged Christians to fight domestic violence and other forms of abuse in their homes and communities.
He urged families to embrace peace, love and forgiveness, saying Christians have a responsibility to address suffering in their homes and communities.
Preaching during a pilgrimage Mass at St. Matia Mulumba Catholic Parish in Mayuge district on Sunday, October 11, Obbo called on the faithful to play an active role in tackling domestic violence and promoting peaceful co-existence.
He said domestic violence and other forms of abuse have continued to cause suffering in communities. He called on Christians to intervene and encourage one another to embrace peaceful ways of resolving disputes.
"There is this animal called domestic violence. It has caused suffering in our homes. How do we help those who are suffering? We hear about domestic violence in different communities and all kinds of abuse. We are called to change this situation," he said.
"Domestic violence does not demonstrate heroism. God created the world to be peaceful, but sometimes our actions make us behave like children of Gomorrah and Babylon," he said.
He urged Christians to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult and become agents of change in their homes and communities.
Obbo also reminded the faithful that pilgrimage was not an ordinary social gathering but a spiritual call to prayer, reflection and transformation.
He encouraged Christians to emulate St. Matia Mulumba, one of Uganda's Martyrs, by living exemplary spiritual lives, rejecting sin and remaining committed to the faith.
Obbo highlighted the courage and sacrifice associated with St. Matia Mulumba, urging believers to draw inspiration from the martyr's life and his decision to remain in his Christian faith despite the challenges he faced.
Obbo further appealed to the faithful to pray for peace in their homes, noting that lasting change begins with individuals taking responsibility for their actions.
He said families should be places of love, safety and mutual respect rather than violence and called on Christians to help build communities where children, parents and neighbours can live together peacefully.
In a message delivered by Dunstan Balaba, the Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, President Yoweri Museveni urged Christians to engage in income- generating activities, saying spiritual nourishment should go hand in hand with efforts to improve household incomes.
He said religious leaders have a critical role to play in mobilising believers to fight poverty by embracing profitable enterprises, including commercial Agriculture, industrialisation, services, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Meanwhile, Mayuge District Chairperson David Zijja pledged to pursue reconciliation between the Church and Mayuge town council over a land dispute involving Kyebando Parish.
St. Matia Mulumba, Kyebando in Mayuge District, is a birth place for the catholic martyr, Matia Mulumba. Every year in the month of October, Catholics converge to pray at this place.