Catholic Church being persecuted over Fr Ojara? Excuse me! Is he the Church?
Nov 08, 2004
SIR— Last Friday, <i>The New Vision</i>, page 9, reported that the Rev. Msgr. Matthew Odong told a press conference in Gulu last week that the arrest of the Rev. Fr. Matthew Ojara over alleged links with the LRA was persecution of the Catholic Church.
SIR— Last Friday, The New Vision, page 9, reported that the Rev. Msgr. Matthew Odong told a press conference in Gulu last week that the arrest of the Rev. Fr. Matthew Ojara over alleged links with the LRA was persecution of the Catholic Church.
I would like the vicar and his think-alikes to understand the following and answer the questions which arise.
In the first place, the Church is not Fr Ojara, neither is he the Church. How does his arrest then take on the dimension of the whole Church being persecuted? Secondly, rebels who have surrendered continue to give overwhelming evidence over who their mentors, financiers, well-wishers, blessers and other collaborators are. Assuming Fr Ojara on his own selected a category among these where he falls, it is up to him, and not the Church, to own up. Doesn’t the Bible talk of each person bearing the consequences of his own sin? (Ezekiel 18:3 “The soul that sins shall dieâ€). Thirdly, the questions of tribalism and religious persecution don’t arise here. As someone who hails from northern Uganda, I have a fair knowledge of the current events there. Is Fr Ojara the only Acholi Catholic priest in Uganda? Why have others not suffered his fate? Fourthly, nowadays some priests rebel against their own order to which they have been ordained. Why would it be impossible for only one of them to rebel
or abet a rebellion against
a government?
If all criminals in Uganda’s jails rallied under cover of religion, tribe, colour or sex persecution to gain liberty, would any remain in jail? Would this mean that offences were not committed? We are all tired of this Kony nonsense.
Iriama Tongweno
Lira
I would like the vicar and his think-alikes to understand the following and answer the questions which arise.
In the first place, the Church is not Fr Ojara, neither is he the Church. How does his arrest then take on the dimension of the whole Church being persecuted? Secondly, rebels who have surrendered continue to give overwhelming evidence over who their mentors, financiers, well-wishers, blessers and other collaborators are. Assuming Fr Ojara on his own selected a category among these where he falls, it is up to him, and not the Church, to own up. Doesn’t the Bible talk of each person bearing the consequences of his own sin? (Ezekiel 18:3 “The soul that sins shall dieâ€). Thirdly, the questions of tribalism and religious persecution don’t arise here. As someone who hails from northern Uganda, I have a fair knowledge of the current events there. Is Fr Ojara the only Acholi Catholic priest in Uganda? Why have others not suffered his fate? Fourthly, nowadays some priests rebel against their own order to which they have been ordained. Why would it be impossible for only one of them to rebel
or abet a rebellion against
a government?
If all criminals in Uganda’s jails rallied under cover of religion, tribe, colour or sex persecution to gain liberty, would any remain in jail? Would this mean that offences were not committed? We are all tired of this Kony nonsense.
Iriama Tongweno
Lira