Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga of Kampala called for increased charity during the coronavirus pandemic, as he led a small number of church leaders in marking the feast of Uganda martyrs’ day.
For the first time in many years, the annual festival was postponed after Covid-19 regulations affected the movement of pilgrims and preparation plans. About 60 people were allowed to participate in celebrations which are usually attended by millions of Christians from the Eastern African region at the Martyrs’ Shrine in Namugongo. The priests wore red vestments symbolising the blood of martyrs and the fire of Pentecost.
“The martyrs teach us that at the moment of crisis and challenges, we should increase our works of charity and our works of love,” said Lwanga in a sermon.
Marked on 3 June every year pilgrims travel from Africa and other parts of the world to honour the Christian martyrs who were killed between 1886 and 1887. Kabaka Mwanga II, the King of Buganda Kingdom had ordered the burning to death of the young men after they refused to recant their Christian faith.
Many of the pilgrims walk in groups for days to reach the shrine of Namugongo built in the capital Kampala near the site where the young Christians were killed. Of the 45, 22 were Catholics while 23 were Anglicans.
Lwanga said that at this time, people could be tempted to become more selfish or adopt the principle of the survival of the fittest, which he warned was against the Christian virtue of charity.
In his own message, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni urged the churches to continue lifting up the nation in prayer and to ask for God’s protection during the coronavirus period. Museveni said that, just like his National Resistance Movement party, the martyrs were visionary when they sacrificed their lives for others and this has had a lasting impact on Ugandan society.
The president, who didn’t attend the celebrations, said despite being new converts the martyrs had been steadfast in their Christian teaching and practice. This had changed society for the better and their actions had a lasting legacy worthy of celebration by Christians the world over.
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