Catholic Church pushes for alcohol abstinence

ALCOHOL    RELIGION

KAMPALA -  "We are worried that our country is ranked number two in Africa and number eight in the world, in alcohol consumption. Many intelligent, energetic and resourceful people have been incapacitated by alcohol and drugs.

"Many people have lost their jobs; families have broken. Over 200 diseases are linked to alcohol.  Crimes such as rape, murder, robbery are also linked to alcohol. Alcoholism retards development because a lot of money that would have been used for development is now used to deal with its consequences.

The national Patron of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart, Bishop Robert Muhiirwa Akiiki (wearing a mitre), with some of the association's members that graced the alcohol abstinence convention

 
"Let us make a commitment to abstain from alcohol. Let us make efforts to talk to our friends, family members and workmates about the dangers of alcohol consumption. If we refrain from alcohol or at least consume it in moderation, we shall have stable families, energetic and sober working citizens. The Church and the country will then ably attain holistic development."

These were the remarks of the Rt Rev Dr. Robert Muhiirwa Akiiki, the Bishop of Fort Portal Catholic diocese, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference. He was delivering a key-note address for the Pioneer Alcohol Abstinence National Convention at St Mary's National Major Seminary, Ggaba on Saturday, September 21.

Participants reciting a special prayer for alcoholics and drug addicts

Pioneer is an association of Catholic priests and religious, seminarians and laity, who commit themselves to total abstinence from alcohol. Muhiirwa is the national patron of the movement. The conference at Ggaba was graced by hundreds of participants from various parts of the country.

In his later remarks, Muhiirwa asked the government to be more committed to reducing alcohol consumption and drug abuse. He also called for the protection of children from "misleading adverts," which he said enticed them to consume alcohol. Referring to a research done by CNN (2016), which ranked Uganda as Africa's second-biggest consumer of alcohol (after Nigeria), Muhiirwa argued that the country's socio-economic progress would stagnate if the government took no action against alcoholism.

Muhiirwa attacked some beer companies, which he accused of corrupting the minds of primary school children.

 "Last week, as I was going to one of the orphanages in my diocese, I saw a huge beer billboard, standing between two primary schools. Such adverts corrupt the minds of these innocent children!

"Alcohol is a lion which wants to finish us. So, let us be zealous in raising awareness about the problem. Let's talk to the people we relate within our families, our small Christian communities, our churches and workplaces. Let us promote sobriety and temperance."

 
Melodrama

Drama ensued when Joy Kwagala (from Fort Portal) blamed some priests who consume alcohol for frustrating the members' efforts.

"One Christian challenged me: "Joy, who are you to tell us to abstain when even priests drink?"

Fr John Baptist Turinomujuni answered:  "Christians provide the beer the priests consume. "When you invite the priests to your homes, the first thing you give them is beer. So, some of our Christians are also partly to blame for the weaknesses of the priests."

One of the participants delivers her submission during the conference

 
It took the intervention of Fr Richard Kayaga, who asked the members to turn to prayer during the difficult circumstances.

During the conference, Bishop Muhiirwa re-launched the Pioneer Association of the Sacred Heart. The Prelate also commissioned the association's interim executive committee, which is headed by Fr John Baptist Turinomujuni.