Anglican Church shuns joint prayers for peace

Established nearly 58 years ago, the umbrella organisation that brings together the Christian fraternity in Uganda, the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) has made efforts to preach peace as the country goes to the polls next week.

The event is normally planned by the three subscribers; the Catholic church, the Orthodox church and the Anglicans but this time, the Anglican Church of Uganda has shunned the peace making prayers, leaving a lot of questions.

Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, the chairperson of the UJCC said on Tuesday that they had been forced to change dates to accommodate Archbishop Stephen Mugalu Kaziimba of the Anglican Church but he still did not make it.

The Catholic and Orthodox clerics revealed that Mugalu agreed to the dates only to pull out without any reason.

"He is the one who actually suggested the dates but he pulled out," Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga said.

Metropolitan Yona Lwanga, the Archbishop of the Orthodox Church said that they are holding the prayers to pray for peace, which is not wrong and they do not understand why the Church of Uganda pulled out.

Dr. Kizito Lwanga said that they believe there is no bad blood between Rubaga and Namirembe despite having historical differences.

"Some people said that the government thought we wanted it to come here so that people can abuse it, that is not right," Dr. Kizito Lwanga said.

The clerics believe that the call for peace is an empty demand without manifestation of justice.

Orthodox Archbishop Yona Lwanga said politicians should stop taking people as their property.

"How is there going to be order when there is no justice?" the Orthodox Archbishop said.