Pope Francis Coming to Strengthen Ugandans on Faith, Justice, Good Governance and Peace

By Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

 

Pope Francis displays Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Francis is not a tourist but Christ's messenger.

      

As a small boy in my home village of Kkoba- Bibbo- in Kyaggwe County, I used to hear people, young and old, use the person of the Pope to prove the impossibility of something. One would literally say that “even if you called the Pope on phone such would never materialize.”

It was out of the ordinary for one to even dream that a Pope could ever visit Uganda. All that came to pass on July 31, 1969 when Pope Paul VI, now a Saint, set foot in Uganda. John Paul II, also a Saint, followed suit in 1993. Pope Paul VI had declared the 22 Uganda Martyrs, on Mission Sunday, 18 October 1964, Saints of God.

While some countries still dream of a Papal visit, the third Pope is on his way to the land of the Martyrs. Ugandans and neighbours in the region are looking forward to Pope Francis’ visit to Uganda scheduled on November 27- 29, 2015.

His Holiness Pope Francis is coming to join the faithful in Uganda and the world at large to praise God for the gift of the Uganda Martyrs. The Roman Catholic Church is celebrating Fifty years since the 22 Uganda Martyrs were canonized.

Blessed Gildo Irwa and Daudi Okello are on their way to Sainthood. At the same time, Msgr. Aloysious Ngobya and Sister Amadeo are also in the process of being declared Blessed.

Uganda is renowned for her Martyrs but Pope Francis is coming at a time when the country is gearing up for the 2016 Presidential and general elections, and also answers the description of a hopeless state. Uganda is a real failed state, save for the semblance of leadership in place.

President Museveni has been in power since 1986, becoming the longest serving leader yet with the least to show in terms of developing and uniting the country. He has also confirmed his bid for the presidency next year by picking forms to contest for the chairmanship of his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and to be its flag bearer in the polls.

Frustration is mounting over deteriorating rule of law, rights abuse, robbery of public funds and resources and systematic institutional breakdown.

Answers to the hopeless state of affairs are hard to come by. Who can genuinely explain why our school children are studying under trees? Why has government failed to repair and stock the hospitals, constructed during the past regimes, let alone construct new ones?

A lot of spin is going on to cover up the rot but certain facts keep staring the rulers in the face. For instance, what is forcing the country’s best and most productive work force to prefer modern-day slavery to their country?  Why does Museveni and cohorts feel offended when the public points out these glaring instances of failure if at all they are nationalists, freedom fighters, Pan Africans and whatever title they may decide to confer upon themselves?  

It is during Museveni’s rule that Ugandans have been turned into refugees in their own country! With the help and support of government, Ugandans continue to be forced off their land, denied the right to own property and treated like foreigners in their own land.

Every passing day, justice becomes a rare commodity while oppression becomes the order of the day. Law Courts long ceased to be bastions of justice; they transformed into dens of thugs as the president fulfilled his wish to staff them with cadre judges.

Police’s constitutional mandate of maintaining law and order was replaced with that of overseeing the entrenchment of president Museveni in power. It is the change of roles that is responsible for the escalating crime rate in the country. Inspector General of Police’s declaration that it is his officers hiring out guns to criminals was just a tip of the iceberg.

As a result, the public has decided to take matters into its own hands to ensure own survival. Loss of hope is a dangerous sign of the time that calls for urgent action to ensure its restoration. The public has been pushed into thinking revenge, violence and unforgiving.

Pope Francis’ visit to Uganda is spot on; he is coming to arrest the situation and appeal to Ugandans to have courage and hope for the best. Christians of Uganda in particular, should expect the Pope’s call to grow in faith, the living force in them. It is Christian maturity that he will be demanding of them.

In the absence of Christian maturity, the rampant and unsolved murders, the biting poverty, institutionalized oppression and injustices are potential sparks for anarchy and bloodshed.

Whenever jungle law takes over, even religious leaders are easily tempted to throw their values and guiding principles to the wind and side with the oppressors. Often times religious leaders have been sighted dining with the demagogues to the extent of covering up their crimes against humanity and they too become fortune hunters.

The youth in Uganda are facing too many challenges to believe there is someone out there willing to listen to them, let alone understand what they are going through. Many youth continue to be victims of criminal networks presenting themselves as Pentecostals.

Many Pentecostals present themselves as the Faith and thus become stumbling blocks to the youth to see salvation. These mushrooming churches are devouring God’s people for monetary gains.

The Gay, Lesbian and Homosexual Movements are also targeting the youth with promises of money and resettlement in Europe and America. They are splashing around money, taking advantage of unemployment, dictatorship and the dehumanizing poverty in Uganda to woe the angry, misled and hopeless youth. But the promise of quick riches and good life has turned into great disappointment for many youth; some have been ruined so much so that they consider themselves useless and unworthy of living.

Uganda’s neighbours in the East- Kenya- have just welcomed the U.S President Barack Obama. While Obama was most interested in the U.S interests in Kenya and the region, Paapa Francis comes to nurse the wounded, comfort the afflicted and strengthen the weak.

Paapa Francis is coming to help the misled youth find Spiritual solace to offload, be assured that there are people willing to listen to them,  there are people who love them and even share what they are going through.

As Uganda becomes politically charged because of next year’s elections, the youth are at the center of it all. Every camp is bracing itself for any chance to grab this constituency. It is the same scenario of throwing around money and making promises devoid of substance. At the end of it all, after casting the vote, it will be disappointment, anger and hopelessness as usual.

Pope Francis’ visit will be the turning point in the life of Ugandans, especially the youth who are the future of the Church and the country. Pope Francis is here to emphasize that hate, jealousy, greed and other negative thoughts have never improved the quality of any person.

His Holiness is here to urge everyone cast the burdens unto Jesus because He cares for everyone. Faith and prayer are crucial in getting over challenges similar to those being witnessed in Uganda.

Francis I has already helped broker a historic accord between Cuba and United States of America after half a century of hostility. He has also announced first formal accord between Vatican and the State of Palestine. The Pope has not only shown great concern for the “atmosphere of war” haunting the world, but has made a bold step to achieve peace and stability.    

There is every reason to believe that His Holiness will help Ugandans realise their long desire for justice, rule of law and order so as to spur sustainable peace and development. With the general elections just at the corner, and the demand for peaceful and meaningful change growing momentum, the Pontiff’s visit is the best gift to hopeless Ugandans.

President Museveni’s preoccupation with being president at all cost is responsible for the lack of funding for vital infrastructure, the grip of terror and political instability. But at the end of His Holiness’ visit every Ugandan should know that there is a future and that they have the power to shape it.