Clergy condemn wars

Apr 20, 2003

THOUSANDS of Christians yesterday thronged churches to celebrate Easter. Easter marks the day Jesus resurrected from the dead.

By Vision Reporters
THOUSANDS of Christians yesterday thronged churches to celebrate Easter.

Easter marks the day Jesus resurrected from the dead.

At Christ the King in Kampala, Monsignor Paul Ssemogerere condemned wars and urged peace-loving people to preserve life.

In a sermon at the 10:00am High Mass, Ssemogerere, the Vicar General of Kampala Archdiocese, said while God gave people life through his death and resurrection, the world today is characterised by destruction of life through wars.

He said, “In Iraq we are killing millions. It took God a lot of time to create human beings. That is why we were the final creation. We take a lot of time in our mothers’ wombs. Nine months. And we just destroy these human beings and say ‘we have won.’”

Ssemogerere said that instead of solving problems through peaceful means, many governments resort to buying sophisticated weapons that end up destroying lives.

He urged Christians to maintain the spirit and good behaviour exhibited during lent beyond Easter. Ssemogerere emphasised the importance of Easter, saying the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Catholic faith.

“These days Christmas has stolen the show may be because of the holiday and the materialism that characterises it. But Easter should be the main one because it represents life after death.”

At Namirembe Cathedral, Bishop Samuel Balagadde Ssekadde called for dialogue over Uganda’s deteriorating morals, adding that a referendum could be conducted if necessary.

“The other day I met people carrying away loot from the collapsed Divine Harvest Church in Makindye. The looters were rejoicing and claiming that God had given them the loot. A god who awards looters certainly cannot have been the same God as the one who died for us on the cross,” he said.

He condemned musicians and other artists for indecently exposing themselves on stage.

Present at the service was Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi and his wife Esther.

At Our Lady of Africa Catholic Church Mbuya Hill, Vice-President Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, accompanied by daughter Kevin and son Julius, was among hundreds of celebrants.

Kazibwe urged Christians not to drink too much alcohol.

“Catholics are good at drinking but don’t drink too much today (yesterday) because you may miss seeing the Lord,” she said.

Kazibwe said she was excited to see the church “full and overflowing” but appealed to the believers not only to flock the churches on big days like Easter and Christmas.

“Come and pray even on other days,” a beaming Kazibwe said.

The Rev. Fr. Joseph Archetti appealed to the Christians to renounce sin now that Jesus has risen from the dead and accept him as their saviour.

Former Presidential candidate Francis Bwenje attended the mass.

At All saints Cathedral Nakasero, Eliphaz Maari, the assistant Bishop of Kampala Diocese, condemned Amanda’s Angels, a new nude dance group. The scantily dressed female dancers were arrested by the Police performing at Rock Gardens in Kampala on Good Friday.

He called on ethics minister Miria Matembe who was in the congregation, to curb sexual immorality (see page 4).

“I really don’t know Honourable Matembe what you are going to do about these people (the angels). You saw them on TV almost naked and it’s no longer a shame,” Maari said.

He said the power of the Lord had saved Roger Mugisha, the former leader of the Shadow’s angels, another group of dancers who abandoned the trade and turned to God recently.

Fr. Ssemogerere also took a swipe at beauty contests saying all people are created in the image of God. “And God does not create junk. Beauty contests are meaningless. We are all beautiful and handsome. Beauty contests are organised to show the nakedness of the body,” he said.

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