When Pope Paul VI visited Uganda in 1969

By Juliet Lukwago and Angel Nabweteme           

 The visit of Pope Paul VI to Uganda in 1969 was as memorable as it was historical. It was his first ever visit to the African continent and ended up being the only one to Africa in his entire 15-year reign at the Vatican.

With Pope Francis’ visit in November, Uganda will become the first African country to host three different reigning popes. Uganda will also be Pope Francis’ first African country to visit officially. He will visit Uganda even before he goes to his native country, Argentina.

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Cardinal Pope Paul VI welcomed to Uganda by Archbishop of Kampala, Emmanuel Nsubuga

 

From kikapu to reality

The invitation of Pope Paul VI to visit Uganda in 1969 came out of a joke! According to the archives at Lubaga Cathedral, the then Archbishop of Kampala, Emmanuel Nsubuga, had gone to the Vatican fundraising for Namugongo Shrine in March 1969. He travelled with a bag he had named kikapu with which he was fundraising. When he got an audience with Pope Paul VI, he presented the kikapu and asked him to bless it. He used the opportunity to discuss the Uganda Martyrs. And the pope contributed sh140,000, a lot of money in 1969. Speechless Nsubuga, in appreciation, asked him to come and lay the foundation stone. He got no answer.

Later, during the mass at St Peters Basilica Rome on the Feast of St Joseph, March 19, Pope Paul VI announced his decision to visit Uganda later that year. It had never been heard of that a pope could visit an African country! According to sources, the decision met resistance from within the Vatican.

 Resistance

The head of the Vatican finance committee, which organized the pope’s visits abroad, Archbishop, Paul Marcinkus, told the media: “It’s easier to organize a trip to the moon than a trip for the pope to Africa!”

He cited such hurdles as weak governments, poor infrastructure and local hazards that could threaten the pope’s health. But he was wrong! Pope Paul VI arrived in Uganda on July 31 and left safely on August 2, 1969 without any nasty incident. He was not eaten by any lions, did not contract any malaria and there was no security threat on his life. In fact, a year later in 1970, when he visited the Philippines, he was attacked by a Bolivian painter, Benjamin Mendoza, with a dagger and wounded in the chest at Manila airport. The injury turned out to be minor.

The pope arrives

Bishop Emeritus (retired) of Hoima Diocese, Edward Albert Baharagate Akiiki, 85 remembers the day vividly. He was among the 12 priests being prepared to be consecrated bishops at Kololo the next day. They were airlifted from their retreat at Ggaba to Entebbe in a chopper belonging to Naguru Police Air Wing.

 

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The Pope convoy arrives in Kampala (Top) and the African presidents he met in Kampala

“We were all dressed in black cassocks and a pinkish sash,” he said. “We joined a mammoth crowd on the second floor of the airport, overlooking the runway. The emotions were high, especially when the aircraft carrying the successor of St Peter appeared in the sky approaching Entebbe airport, accompanied by four military jets. We shouted, hugged each other and many cried. It touched the ground at exactly 3pm.”

The doors of the East African Airways Super VC10 opened and behold; Pope Paul VI appeared! People shouted, ululated and danced as he descended the steps and kissed Uganda’s soil at exactly 3:13 pm, Baharagate said.

He was received by the President Milton Obote and his wife Miria. There were other heads of state; Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Kenneth Kauda (Zambia), Dr Gregoire Kayibanda (Rwanda), Michel Micombero (Burundi) and representatives of Joseph Mobutu (Zaire, now DR Congo), Yakub Gowon (Nigeria) and Emeka Ojukwu (a rebel leader of the breakaway state of Biafra, Nigeria). Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa and Archbishop Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga were also around to shake his hands and later introduce him to other religious leaders.

Both Obote and the pope made brief remarks before leaving the airport. The pope concluded his with a phrase in Luganda: “Mwebale nnyo okumpuliriza”, to which the crowd thundered in jubilation.

Lubaga

His first task was to close the episcopal conference of Africa which had been going on at Lubaga Cathedral hill. Its main focus was how to boost missionary activity as expounded by the second Vatican Council.   

The journey to Lubaga took two hours because of the crowds. The pope was received by Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa of Tanzania, who by then the only cardinal in East Africa and Archbishop Amelio Poggi who was the Papal Nuncio to Uganda.

The meeting had 4 cardinals, McCann, Leon-Etienne Duval (Nord), Sidarouss Stephanus (Egypt), Joseph Malula (Kinshasa) and Rugambwa. The others were 23 bishops from different places in Africa.

The pope told the conference that his presence in Uganda should be taken as a visit to the whole of Africa. He thenpaid homage to Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuka’s grave, which was inside the Church.

Obote’s dinner

That evening, president Oote hosted him to a State dinner at Nakasero State Lodge where he presented the pontiff 22 ivory tusks representing the 22 martyrs.

The pope bestowed upon Obote, his vice, John Babiiha, and Foreign Affairs minister, Sam Odaka the Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius, and to the speaker of Parliament, Narendra Patel and the Internal Affairs minister, Basil Bataringaya, the Grand Cross of St Gregory the Great.

He later went to Nsambya at the Papal Nuncio’s seat where he was to stay for the night.

 

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Pope meets parliamentarians.

 Day two: Kololo

The pope’s first official mass was at Kololo Airstrip on August 1. The Pontifical Mass included the consecration of 12 bishops. Baharagate said they were driven in a bus from Ggaba to Kololo.

“The holy mass started at 10am. I can’t recall the name of the choir that day but it was so wonderful,” he said. “We were honoured to become bishops. We took photographs with the Pope after the mass.”

Five Ugandans became bishops that day. Baharagate (Hoima), John Baptist Kakubi (Mbarara), Barnabas Halebimana (Kabale) and Serapio Bwemi Magambo (Fort Portal). Others from out were Raphael Ndingi and Emile Njeru (Kenya), Emmanuel Milingo (Zambia), William Mahony and Anthony Salui Sanusi (Nigeria), Jean- Marie-Joseph Pisquire (Cameroon), Andre Fernad Anguile (Gabon) and Constatine Guirma (Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso).

Rest of the day

After mass, the Pope went to Parliament where he addressed the politicians and African leaders. He thanked them for the freedom of worship and appealed to them to maintain human dignity and freedoms.

He then went to Nsambya Parish where he was received by the minister of culture and development, Constantine Baranga Katiti. From Nsambya, he went to Mulago hospital and was received by Health minister, Joshua N. Wakholi, Army Commander, Maj Gen Idi Amin, and Inspector General of Police Erinayo Oryema.

From Mulago, he commissioned the construction of St Balikuddembe Church in Kisenyi and headed to Lubaga to officially open the hospital before retiring to Nsambya at the residency of the Papal Nuncio.

There, he held a series of meeting with diplomats accredited to Uganda, members of the Catholic Church leadership in Uganda, and the Muslim representatives who paid a courtesy call on him.

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The Pope was welcomed by President Obote and Nyerere.

Day Three: Namugongo

Pope Paul VI went to Namugongo on the final day to honour the Uganda Martyrs. He first visited the Anglican site at Nakiyanja where he was welcomed by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Erica Sabiiti, and Bishop of Namirembe, Dunstan Nsubuga. After a guided tour of the replica of Mukajanga’s hut (Mukajanga was the Kabaka’s chief executioner), Sabiiti presented him with a Bible and a local mat. In return, the pope removed his cross and presented it to Sabiiti and gave medals to the president Obote, other heads of state around and Anglican clergy in attendance. He plugged a wooden pictogram to recognize the Anglican Martyrs.

 

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Pope leads mass

He then returned to the Catholic Martyrs Shrine where he led another Pontifical mass. On arrival, he kissed the spot where St Kalooli-Lwanga was killed on June 3, 1886 and consecrated the altar, which is raised at the very spot. He also laid a foundation stone for a mini-Basilica in honour of the 22 fallen martyrs.

After mass, the pontiff removed his papal vestments and mitre and presented them to Cardinal Nsubuga.

After the Namugongo mass, the Pope went to Rubaga where he held private meetings with the different heads of state before having lunch with all of them. He also made another contribution of sh1.4m to the Catholic Church to spread its mission in the country.

That evening after 5:30pm he bade farewell and returned to Entebbe airport.

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 The arch that the Pope passed through at Entebbe Airport. It is still there today.