Orthodox Christians have celebrated the Sunday of Orthodoxy with a call for peace to prevail in Ukraine and the World over. 

Metropolitan Jeronymos Muzeeyi, the Archbishop of Uganda Orthodox Church, said the Sunday of Orthodoxy had come when the world was experiencing instability after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine three weeks ago.

“All the Orthodox faithful throughout the world are celebrating Orthodoxy today. Our brothers in Russia and Ukraine are Orthodox, today they were supposed to celebrate in Peace but unfortunately, they’re fighting each other,” said Metropolitan Muzeeyi on Sunday March 13, 2022.

During this Great Lent period, Metropolitan Muzeeyi asked all humankind to pray so that peace may prevail in Ukraine.

“Today as Orthodox Christians in Uganda, we pray for them that very quickly God could grant that they could achieve their peaceful co-existence. They must have peace from above which emanates from Jesus Christ our Lord. 

"So all of us here who are participating in this event, we urge each one to pray for Russia and Ukraine that they might have peace. Peace for all and peace for all of us Orthodox fraternity,” the Archbishop prayed.

The Sunday of Orthodoxy is celebrated on the first Sunday of the Great Lent and at St. Nicholas Cathedral Namungoona Metropolitan Muzeeyi asked God to grant the Holy Spirit to guide his servants in the right direction and reflect on the individual soul by showing mercy to the poor, forgiving our enemies and forging ahead amidst all challenges.

“This is the time for us to invite the poorest of the poor into our homes, to improve our family spiritual condition by prayer and fasting from doing evil. By regularly participating in prayers and partaking of the Holy communion, living sacramental lives, the mysteries of our Lord shall continue to manifest in us as individuals, families, villages, and nations,” preached Archbishop Muzeeyi.

In the same mass, the church thanked the Lord for having enabled it to get through the enthronement of its leaders; Metropolitan Muzeeyi which happened on February 20, 2022, Bishop Slyvester Kisitu of Jinja Diocese which was on February 27, 2022, and that of Bishop Nektarios Kabuye.

Bishop Muzeeyi thanks the government, cultural leaders, and the entire  Ugandan community for standing with the church during the enthronement period and he pledged to work with the government in its efforts to fight poverty which he called a severe disease that distances humankind from God.

“We shall continue to work together with the government to ensure that the parish development model works for the poorest of the poor but also for the rich who might be poor in the spirit. We must put to good use the resources we received in this time to serve the people and improve their well-being regardless of whether they belong to our flock or not. We’re called to serve all people in decency and orderly ways as shown above,” said Metropolitan Muzeeyi.