The Vatican announced the death of His Holiness Pope Francis on Easter Monday, 21st April 2025. Several institutions and individuals have since shared eulogies across social media and mainstream platforms.
Speaking to the Nile Post on Tuesday, the Mbarara Archdiocese Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Dr. Serverinus Ndugwa, revealed that the archdiocese has enjoyed a close relationship with His Holiness Pope Francis, ranging from social life, humanitarian support, environmental aspects, among others.
According to Fr. Ndugwa, he recalls the time of his retirement, when the Archbishop Emeritus Paul Kaamuza Bakyenga wrote to Pope Francis to allow him to retire following his deteriorating health in 2022.
“As the Archdiocese, when our late Archbishop became weak and reached the age of retirement, when he wrote his resignation and asked to retire, we thank Pope Francis that he responded positively, because it is not easy, because the Bishop can remain even after the age of retirement,” Fr. Ndugwa said.
“We also thank Pope Francis because he would have chosen another Bishop from elsewhere to succeed Archbishop Bakyenga, but he chose our very own Bishop Lambert, who was born here and served as the Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Bakyenga, and simply promoted him to succeed Archbishop Bakyenga,” Fr. Ndugwa said.
Fr. Ndugwa emphasises that that was a strong touch the Archdiocese had with the late Pope Francis, adding that “so somewhere somehow we were directly in touch with Pope Francis.”
With humility and his love for the underprivileged, Pope Francis wrote a letter through his Nuncio months after his last visit to Uganda, after a briefing about the nature of Uganda and her hospitality to host refugees, and sent humanitarian support.
“While in Uganda, I think he was briefed about the nature of Uganda and her hospitality to refugees, especially from the neighboring countries. That touched him, and through his Nuncio, he sent some help in monetary form—even our refugees in Nakivale benefited,” Fr. Ndugwa said.
For his passion for the environment, the pontiff released his encyclical, known as Laudato si’, in 2015, focusing on the care of the environment, and according to Fr. Ndugwa, the Archdiocese has been implementing the themes of Laudato si’.
“Pope Francis was a pope of creation, and creation are human beings and also nature. When the Laudato si’ letter came, I think many people didn’t understand why the Pope was involved in the environment and the like, but gradually they understood it,” Fr. Ndugwa said.
“And as an Archdiocese, we want to thank the Archbishop. We have Laudato si’ clubs in all our schools, and those that are non-Catholic founded schools are also copying. Most of these schools, when you visit them, their compounds are well planted with trees—the structures too—so you see that the Pope’s message has really sunk in,” Fr. Ndugwa added.
The Pope’s death implies many changes in the Catholic faith since he was still a sitting Pope that died. In the Catholic Church, the Pope is mentioned twice during the Mass ongoing at a particular time.
First, when the petitions are being said—these are the verbal prayers read by a chosen member during that Mass—where it reads, “We pray for the Catholic Church led by the Pope, in this case Pope Francis, all Bishops and all the clergy,” and continues…
The second is during the priest’s consecration moment, where the priest mentions, “We pray for the Church and Pope Francis, our Archbishop (name), and all the clergy.” We asked Fr. Ndugwa and he says:
“In the instance that the sitting Pope dies, the Pope ceases to be mentioned in the Mass segments like it has always been, and now it is his soul that is prayed for among the dead.”