Papal Nuncio Archbishop Blume cautions parents

By Juliet Lukwago

The Papal Nuncio to Uganda, Archbishop Michael Blume has cautioned parents to tighten protection of their children in all ways and at all times as a means of fighting child sacrifice that is on the rise.

“Of late, human sacrifice, particularly of children for ritual purposes has become a common feature on all media channels which is quite appalling and regrettable. However, the greatest responsibility for the protection of the innocent and helpless creatures of God should lie with the parents of the children for they are the most vulnerable as far as the vice is concerned,” the envoy said.
 

The Nuncio was hosting students from over 15 schools and colleges from the Uganda Martyrs Parish Namugongo, Kampala Archdiocese who paid a courtesy call on him at his resident in Mbuya - Kampala on Saturday.

Tthe schools included Uganda Martyrs Namugongo, Namugongo boys, Namugongo parents school, st Kizito P/S, Pax Junior School, campus learning center, Arcbaleno center, Green Hill and Kampala Parents.

Blume said nobody should justify child sacrifice with the biblical story of Abraham, when he attempted to sacrifice his child. He reminded the people that because God did not approve of Abraham sacrifice of his child as a sign of obedience, he (God) stopped him and showed him a sheep in a nearby thicket for him to sacrifice.

“So, God was and is ever against human sacrifice. So, lustful people should stop misinterpreting that Biblical history,” the prelate clarified.
 

He lamented over stories that human sacrifice is carried out by people with the lust for money and other material wealth, which is bad and should be condemned in the strongest terms possible.
 

Fr Dr Emmanuel Kimbowa, Parish Priest Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo, who accompanied the children, told the Nuncio that his parish was due to celebrate its platinum jubilee, whose preparations were underway under the theme "United we grow in Faith like the Uganda Martyrs". Kimbowa said they were happy to have shared with the papal envoy personally.

The clergy told the papal envoy that Namugongo with a growing population of people of all walks of life, who work together to develop the parish and the Martyrs shrine in particular.

Namugongo parish, dedicated to Mother Mary, queen of the Uganda Martyrs, was founded by the Mill Hill Missionaries in 1935, with Rev. Fr. Van Rooyen, who was a Dutch.

Namugongo parish started as a sub-parish of Nsambya Parish in a modest little grass-thatched structure at Kyaliwajjala, where Vienna College is located.
 

The celebrations will be the climax to a series of platinum jubilee activities which started last year and included meetings, retreats, prayers and celebrations of unity among the lay church leaders, various Christian communities and sub parishes.