KAMPALA, OCTOBER 17, 2017(CISA) – Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, has asked members of Parliament to put an end to the culture of aggression and embrace new ethos of honesty, self-respect and respect for others.
“I request our legislators to do their work with absolute honesty, in line with our country’s motto: For God and my Country. It is a pity to see our honourable members of parliament exchanging blows. Surely, there is no justification for them to do this,” Uganda’s New Vision quoted Archbishop Odama as saying.
On September 27, fist fights and chair throwing broke out in Uganda’s parliament between Mps opposed to the debate on removal of presidential age limits and those supporting it.
Archbishop Odama also noted that the nation and the parliament need reconciliation to ensure the spirit of nationhood prevails.
The Bishop was speaking October 12, when he presided over the opening ceremony of the Catholic Missionary Congress at Pope Paul VI Memorial Hotel, in Rubaga, Kampala.
“We need reconciliation in our parliament and also in the country. We need to allow the spirit of nationhood to guide us. Let’s be God-fearing people who love one another,” said Archbishop Odama.
The 4-day convention at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel, Rubaga in Kampala was organized to commemorate 100 years of Pontifical Missionary Union and 50 years of Ad Gentes under the theme: Mission Concerns Us All: A Call to Animation and Cooperation (MK16:15).
Archbishop Odama asked Catholic faithful to develop a missionary attitude, which embraces the Christian virtues like love, generosity, solidarity, and international solidarity.
“The Church by its nature is missionary. It is supposed to spread the gospel of Christ to any part of the world. Our concern as Catholics must also involve people outside our country, who are suffering. We need to express our faith practically by helping the poor and the disadvantaged, here in Uganda and elsewhere in the world,” noted Archbishop Odama.
The congress brought together 171 delegates from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa.
