Orthodox Mark Easter

By Edris Kisamira MEMBERS of the Orthodox Church in Uganda yesterday joined other Christians to celebrate Easter. Archbishop Jonah Lwanga, the leader of the Orthodox Church told The New Vision that it is seven years now since they marked Easter together with the other Christians. "After seven years, we celebrate Easter together with our other brothers. It's a question of the calendar days. The calendar days just coincided and this happens after seven years. We last had our Easter coinciding with the others in 1994," Lwanga said. On the Orthodox calendar, Easter and the New Year are usually celebrated differently because they fall on different days. They, however, celebrate Christmas at the same time with the other Christians. Lwanga prayed for unity, peace, stability and development in the country and called on the congregation to be God fearing. He wished a happy Easter to the President and his family, the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi and all Ugandans. The faithful held lit candles throughout mass as they sang songs to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The archbishop later told The New Vision that they do hold the lit candles to mark Easter, the day the Holy fire came out of Jesus' tomb. The candles, he added, signify the holy fire that is talked about in the Orthodox Bible. At the end of mass, Lwanga and his other clergy gave to the faithful coloured eggs. The eggs, one of the priests who preferred not to be named said are symbols signifying the resurrection of Christ. This, he said, was an act that was made by Maria Magdalene to those who had refused to believe that Christ had actually risen. Ends