Avoid third parties in marriages, Busoga bishop urges couples
Lubaale explained that men are different and therefore, women relying entirely on advice from their mothers and matrons was not always appropriate.
Busoga bishop, the Rt. Rev. Prof. Grace Lubaale and wife, Clare Lubaale (R), together with Martha Mutale (L), the Mothers Union president, singing the Union's anthem during the event on Sunday. (Photos by Jackie Nambogga)
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Busoga Diocesan Bishop, the Rt Rev. Prof. Grace Lubaale, has urged couples to avoid third-party interference if they are to sustain and build lasting marriages.
Lubaale said many marriages were struggling as a result of many women depending on counselling from their mothers and matrons, which he said was not always applicable in their own homes.
He was officiating at celebrations during which the Busoga Mothers Union marked its St Mary’s Day at Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe (BMU) in Jinja City Northern Division on May 31, 2026.
Jinja city woman legislator Sarah Lwansasula (L) and Loy Egesa, the chairperson of Mother's Union of the Deanery during the St. Mary's Day celebrations at the Cathedral on Sunday.
Lubaale explained that men are different and therefore, women relying entirely on advice from their mothers and matrons was not always appropriate.
“Your mother counselled you according to her husband, who is not yours. Also, the advice your matron gave you is hers, depending on how they fare with her husband,” he noted.
He advised couples to apply knowledge selectively and learn how best to handle their marriages, rather than depending entirely on third parties.
“You must have knowledge on how to handle your wife and husband; short of that, you are finished, men are not the same. If someone advises you how they handle their husbands, don’t take it 100% lest you blunder,” he urged.
During the event, the mothers performed a play depicting a couple embroiled in domestic violence as a result of alcoholism, leaving the wife to provide essentials, including food and school fees, as the husband resorts to drinking.
She added that some working-class mothers had also betrayed their husbands through extra relationships, leading to family disagreements.
With such vices, Batwawula said stable marriages were difficult to maintain and stressed the need to prioritise God and hard work in families.
Accordingly, Lubaale emphasised the need for families to prioritise God, followed by spouses, children, parents and then the nation.
He said that without such an order or structure in families, men would continue consuming whatever they earn.
“What is still disturbing men is consuming whatever they earn and drinking alcohol with the rest of the money, yet this habit can be foregone,” he said.
“A man is to love their wife, and a woman is to be submissive by respecting her husband. A man who loves his wife takes care of them in all lawful matters, not in theft or witchcraft.”
Meanwhile, Claire Lubaale, the bishop’s wife, warned mothers against remaining silent whenever their husbands wrong them, saying they should learn to forgive.
Lubaale serving cake to spouses of the clergy during celebrations to mark St. Mary's Day
“You don’t want your husbands to touch you when they annoy you, let us love and intentionally forgive them and put them before God. Pray for them to get rid of the bad habits and friends surrounding them for change,” she urged.
She also cautioned against physical fights, saying they are draining, and encouraged women to instead pray.
“Don’t fight physically, it is so draining, put them before God, be thankful and appreciative for your husbands,” she said.
Martha Mutale, the new President of the Busoga Diocesan Mothers Union, said her executive had held several meetings with tangible outcomes, including recommendations on the orientation of the union’s principles and objectives.
She said her leadership would ensure oversight of all family matters within the Mothers Union, Fathers Union, Christian men and women, including children.
Besides preaching the gospel, Mutale outlined plans to register and induct all Mothers Union members in the diocese, organise workshops for married couples, and convene parenting seminars, noting that children were becoming difficult to manage.
She also vowed to continue the construction of Mary’s House at the cathedral and promote unity within the Mothers' Union.
According to the diocesan secretary, Rev. Can. Aggrey Ksadha, this was the first diocesan ceremony presided over by Bishop Lubaale since his installation and enthronement as Busoga bishop last year.
The Jinja city legislator, Sarah Lwansasula, was present and praised Bishop Lubaale for the marriage guidance.