Archbishop of Church of Uganda Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu has warned students, parents, and teachers against unscrupulous people who he said are trying to attract children into homosexuality by promising them money and sponsorship.
Mugalu urged parents to watch over their children during the school holidays and spend time with them, and discipline them.
“Just as God gave his only son to us at Christmas, so you must also give yourselves sacrificially to your children, “he said in his 2022 Christmas message.
He stressed that the Church of Uganda will always uphold the Bible’s teaching that marriage is between man and woman and that is the God ordained context for sexual relationships.
“We don’t support fornication; we don’t support adultery; and, we don’t support homosexuality. There are rumours that the Church of England will soon vote to provide some form of blessings for homosexual relationships,”he stated.
“We are grateful for the Church of England who gave us the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But we will never follow you in supporting homosexuality. You may be the “Mother Church,” but let’s be clear that such a decision will mean you have abandoned the very faith of Anglicanism you so generously shared around the world, “he added.
He further explained that the Church of England will no longer be Anglican, because Anglicans uphold the Bible.
“This is why the Church of Uganda is so passionate about the Gafcon fellowship of Global Anglicans and why we support the 4th Gafcon Conference in Kigali in April 2023,”
He announced that their theme for 2023 is “United for service and growth.” This is taken from Ephesians 4:11-16. He said it takes hard work to preserve unity hence calling on all leaders in dioceses to give themselves to the vision of being “united for service and growth.”
“At Christmas we see that our God is a God who gives and a God who forgives. I call upon all Ugandans to love one another and forgive each other,” he said.
Mugalu urged all families to reduce their spending this Christmas a little, so they can have enough to pay school fees in January.
“Inflation is still very high and it is pinching all of us. Be wise about how you spend Christmas,” he advised.
Since his enthronement in March 2020, Archbishop Kaziimba has consistently spoken against homosexuality, saying Church of Uganda shall continue to emphasize heterosexual marriages as the lifelong, exclusive bond between one man and one woman for procreation as reflected in the Bible.
Homosexuality is illegal under the Penal Code Act and it carries a possible seven-year sentence for those caught in the same sex relations.
Nearly a decade ago, the Ugandan Church, along with others in Africa, broke its ties with Anglicans in North America over the issue of gay ordinations and same-sex blessings.
