Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kampala (Fides Service) – At the end of his pastoral to Uganda, this morning, June 4, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, had a meeting with the Ugandan Bishops’ Conference “Though my stay has been short I must admit that it has given me the opportunity to have a better understanding of the social and ecclesial situation of this beautiful nation. The various meetings and celebrations have revealed to me the beautiful face of the Church that is alive and dynamic. One gets a glimpse of a remarkable evangelical and pastoral work that is promoted by your duties and responsibilities” the Cardinal said to the Bishops.
The Church is concretely committed to eliminating the evils of society and Cardinal Sepe mentioned in particular the situation in northern Uganda “where there is endless violence, guerrilla wars, acts of vandalism, that do not spare the structures of the Church…the insecurity and instability in the North, then, in a particular way affect the situation in the rest of the country, aggravating the ethnic tendencies and divisions”. Not to be neglected also other serious social phenomena such as corruption, inefficient administrative structures, poverty, migration, illiteracy inefficient school and healthcare systems.
The Prefect of the Missionary Department then underlined the need for solid formation to be provided for Catholics and others who approach the Church “to protect them from the proselytism of other religions, from the proliferation of sects and from the attitude of persisting in traditions that do not conform to the Gospel, as for instance polygamy”. The Cardinal then recalled the Bishops’ commitment to for the Christian family and the formation of priests: “It is urgent to have holy priests who are convinced of their vocation and of their choice!” Formation must start in the Seminary and continue throughout the whole of the priest’s life, the Cardinal said encouraging the Bishops to “accompany priests with a fatherly affection, especially in the first years of priesthood, facilitating their first pastoral experiences and preventing them from being easily discouraged when facing the first difficulties ”. The Cardinal ended his address, urging the Bishops to transform the powerful enthusiasm of the faithful into different forms of evangelisation and ecclesial responsibility.
In the afternoon of June 3, Cardinal Sepe had a meeting with representatives of Uganda’s Catholic laity tracing for them their “ lay identity”. Starting with the baptismal vocation “foundation of the missionary vocation” the Cardinal Prefect spoke of the irreplaceable contribution towards spreading the faith given by Catechists who can find in prayer and adequate formation the answers to the increasing difficulties encountered in their ministry. Then, among the new forms of lay ministry instituted in recent years (animators of prayer, hymns and liturgy; leaders of Basic Christian Communities and Bible groups; in charge of charity works; teachers of religion…) Cardinal Sepe particularly encouraged those working in the social-political field “I feel the responsibility which weighs heavily on our Churches and, upon you in this epoch-making passage of history. The Catholic Church cannot be a voiceless witness to the destruction of the continent of Africa, nor can she limit herself to deploring situations of injustice, but she must evangelise socio-political life with the leaven of the Gospel.” Lastly the Cardinal launched an appeal :The Lord once again invites all of you lay men and women to unite yourselves closely with him and he sends you to every town and village of Uganda to announce his Kingdom of love and peace. (S.L.) (Fides Service 4/6/2003; lines 39 – words 544)
