KAMPALA JULY 14, 2015(CISA) – Children belonging to the Catholic Church in Uganda have urged Kampala Archdiocese, Archbishop Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga to include them in Pope Francis plans when he visits the country in November 27-29 this year.
The children, under their umbrella body, the Bannakizito Association said they have been always neglected in such big occasions despite their active role in the Church, Uganda’s New Vision Newspaper reported.
The children’s head of laity Maltida Odongo told Archbishop Lwanga that, “it was a culture in Uganda to sideline children on such big occasion so this time they want to be at the forefront of the Pope’s visit.”
“We are children under the Church. We ask you the Archbishop not to leave us out when the Pope comes. We are the generation of tomorrow who will narrate the Pope’s visit to the coming generations as you are telling us about the visit of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II who visited before we were born,” Odongo said.
Odongo was addressing a gathering at Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine Munyonyo on Sunday July 12 during the association’s annual celebrations.
In his response, Archbishop Lwanga promised the children that they would be at the forefront when the Pope visits.
“We have selected Munyonyo, where the journey of the martyrs started from, as the place where the pope will specifically meet and share with you the young ones,” said Archbishop Lwanga.
He added that at that venue, Pope Francis will meet other groups of people including catechists, school head teachers and the laity among others.
The Archbishop also called for renovation of Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine Munyonyo because the Pope will spend some time there with the people.
The prelate celebrated the holy mass for thousands of pupils from Roman Catholic founded public and private primary schools at their pilgrimage to the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Munyonyo.
The mass marked the 9th annual day of Bannakizito children’s association, a Roman Catholic movement of children in Kampala Archdiocese.
Uganda hosted Pope Paul VI in 1969, Pope John Paul II in 1993 and Pope Francis, who will be coming in November.
