A SPLINTER CATHOLIC CHURCH GROUP WHICH ALLOWS ITS PRIESTS TO MARRY IS REGISTERED IN UGANDA.
Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
A controversial splinter group of the Roman Catholic Church that allows priests to marry has been registered in Kampala, and opened its headquarters in Jinja Town, Uganda’s second largest city.
The group, calling itself the Catholic Apostolic Church, does not allow women to become priests. It has attracted a few rebellious Roman Catholic priests in Uganda as its padres and clergymen.
Its African Archbishop, Mbewa Anzanga, a former Zambian Roman Catholic priest, has already appointed Leonard Lubega, as the first Bishop –elect for Uganda.
Lubega, who is also a senior lecturer at the Kampala International University, was formerly a charismatic Roman Catholic Church ordained priest.
Archbishop Mbewa is due in Uganda next month {January 2010}, reportedly on a mission to ordain over 10 new priests, and officially launch the new Catholic church in Uganda.
In an interview with the government-owned NEWVISION, in Jinja this morning, Lubega clarified that the Catholic Apostolic Church does not fall under Pope Benedict X1, but it recognizes him, and prays for him during its daily masses.
Lubega was further quoted as saying that in order to avoid confusion, it is best to use the Brazilian Catholic Church when referring to the new church, adding that the priest could either marry before or after the ordination.
The Brazilian Apostolic Church is an independent Catholic church, which was established in 1945 by Brazilian Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa, a former Roman Catholic Bishop of Bobucatu.
According to the history of the rebellion, Bishop Costa started the church after falling out with the Roman Catholic Church, and he was excommunicated.
The Brazilian Catholic Church also acknowledges divorce as a reality of life, and permitted in Holy Scripture, and will marry divorced people in the church.
Asked whether they are real Catholics, Lubega answered in the affirmative, “We are Catholics, but not every Catholic is a Roman Catholic”.
The Catholic Apostolic Church has already attracted over 25 priests in Uganda. These include William Obonyo, a convert from the Roman Catholic Missionaries of African Whites Fathers, in Tororo, in Eastern Uganda.
It currently has about 10,000 followers in both Buganda and Busoga Kingdoms. It is said to be attracting more defectors from the mainstream Catholic churches led by priests, who are openly preaching against celibacy life in the church.
The split in the Roman Catholic Church rank and file is likely to cause a lot of confusion among its thousands of followers.
Ends
Leo Odera Omolo
Sounds good. Better for priests to be married. Otherwise priests will all soon be homosexual like the Pope and desire to sodomize young boys.
Reddog is obviously someone with no education and no understanding of sexuality issues. William Shakespear said it well, “methinks thou dost protest too much”. If you need me to expalin that reddog, I will!
It is not right that they should not be in communion with Rome when there are many ethnic Catholic rites which allow for married priests that are in communion with Rome. They should just affiliate with the Coptic Church, and there find even greater solidarity.