Over 50 children receive sacrament of confirmation

Over 50 children majority whose parents are in the Army, Police and other government officials were on Sunday confirmed into the Anglican faith.

Presiding over the confirmation service at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero in Kampala, the retired Bishop of Madi Diocese, Dr Joel Obetia, said it was a good sign for government officials to bring their children to Jesus Christ.

"Confirmation is a vital service in the life of a Christian. Many of these children were baptised as babies but now on their own, they have proclaimed and affirmed their faith in Jesus Christ," Obetia said.

"High profile people in the society should always spare time to attend church and this will encourage their children to emulate God serving right from their childhood and from their parents," he added.

Confirmation sacrament is a popular practice in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox churches where infant baptism is performed. It enables a baptised person to confirm the promises made on their behalf at baptism.

The confirmed included among others, the children of the Chief of the Defence Forces Gen. David Muhoozi, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Sabiiti Muzeyi, Uganda National Roads Authority executive director Allen Kagina and State House Anti-Corruption Unit boss Lt Col Edith Nakalema.

Obetia used the occasion to decry increased criminality in the country. He tasked the security agencies to act in order to avert the situation.

"I'm shocked by the things which are happening in this country. I cannot understand out of all the religiosity, the Christians are filling up prisons and other detention facilities across the country for allegedly committing crimes," he said.

According to Obetia, there is a disconnect and degeneration in societal standards and he called on the faithful to pray to God for a breakthrough.

(L-R) Rev. Dr Obetia, Gen. David Muhoozi and his wife, Lt Col Edith Nakalema with family members. Photo by Juliet Kasirye

"It is really perturbing on how all of a sudden good people in churches during the day can become very terrible in the evenings and at night. Many Christians have murdered or done something terrible. This shows there is something wrong spiritually and without finger-pointing, something urgent need to be done," Obetia stated.

He, however, called for justice to prevail for the poor who face a range of injustices right from grabbing their land to being killed by criminal gangs by people who claim to be highly placed.

"We have heard of incidents where poor people have lost their lives at the hands of some powerful persons, but just because they are poor, the process of justice is frustrated along the way.

Our laws provide for equality before the law, but it is evident that the poor people in the country still suffer injustices and justice process on their side is frustrated," he said.