KAMPALA
The Makerere Community Church lead Pastor, Martin Ssempa has proposed for the removal of canonical laws on celibacy barring Catholic priests from having families.
“The idea that priests should not marry is not a biblical concept it is a Roman Catholic Church concept and we must remove it. Priests must marry,” Pr. Ssempa said
The pastor made remarks while appearing on NBS Television show #NBSPeopleAndPower earlier this day.
Pr. Ssempa’s remarks come at a time when two priests from Mbarara Roman Catholic Archdiocese are being accused of alleged immoral behaviors by Christians.
Two priests both posted in Kyamuhunga parish in Bushenyi district namely Fr. Archangel Ayebare,Parish Priest and Fr. Suzario Mwesiime, the Board Chair of the parish’s managed community hospital, St. Daniel Comboni hospital are facing among other accusations immoral behaviors, corruption and mismanagement of the hospital.
A group of concerned Christians from the parish are pointing accusation fingers to the priests who they allege of being sex pests and are preying on married women everyday.
“One of the Reverend Fathers who is my Parish Priest has been sleeping with people’s women including taking my own wife,” Gaffa Denis, a christian told Parrots Media on Saturday January 6.
Last year in October, Rev. Fr. Kenneth Baingana alias Fr. Ken who christians in October last year stormed the Archbishop’s office demanding for his transfer over mismanagement of parish projects and funds, human harassment, alleged sex abuse among others.
Fr. Baingana was later transferred to Rwera parish in Ntungamo district as a curate priest and replaced with Fr. Cyprian Kyomuhendo.
“Today, I have received an appointment to serve at another parish called Rwera Parish in Ntungamo district.
I have been assigned to assist the parish priest, in the pastoral work there.
Fr. Kyomuhendo Cyprian will be my successor. Kindly cooperate with him for the good of our parish,” read a farewell message by Fr. Kenneth.
“As we embrace this change, let us remember that being peaceful is better than being right […] By the end of this week, I will be handing over my responsibilities, and the parish council will determine when the farewell ceremony could take place, ” he added.
It is an open secret that some Catholic priests and perhaps Bishops globally no longer live celibate chastity.
In 2013, the then Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, Rt. Rev. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga (RIP) suspended his popular charismatic priest Fr. Anthony Musaala over a document he authored that widely circulated widely on the Internet calling for the removal of celibacy.
In a long authored document, the priest openly confessed that celibacy is forced but not consented to. He called for responsive actions to allow priests marry.
“I suggest that now more than at any other time, we must begin an open and frank dialogue about catholic priests becoming happily married men, rather than being miserable and single, either before or after ordination,” Fr. Musaala opined
He was later suspended over sexual immorality and crimes by the Archbishop.
“Fr. Musaala had been suspended for the document, which “damages the good morals of the Catholic believers and faults the church’s teaching” Daily Monitor Newspaper reported quoting Archbishop Lwanga.
He was later apologized and readmitted to the church in March, 2018.
“There is a time when truth, humility and reconciliation are the best way to get renewal, healed and find inner peace,” said Fr. Musaala during a Chrism Mass Celebration Rubaga cathedral.
“I turn to you, Your Grace the Archbishop, who has endured so many hurts from me,” he added.
“I am truly sorry,” Fr. Musaala apologized
Another popular priest based at Mt. Zion Bukalango, still in the Archdiocese of Kampala, Fr. Jacinto Kibuuka was at a certain point accused by a Kyambogo University female student, Winfred Nantongo of sexual impropriety but the accuser in a twist of events made a public apology to the priest and the church pointing out alleged influence from some powerful people within the church.
Fr. Kibuuka was later on March 8, 2016 given an administrative leave to pave way for canonical investigations into his conduct after he, “committed a Diplomatic error to the Apostolic Nunciature and was asked to step down from his office.” This was when he was appointed to Uganda Martyrs Namugongo to coordinate the Golden Jubilee of the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs as well as coordinating the visit of Pope Francis 1 to Uganda.
Before, he was transferred in Ggoli parish in Mpigi district as a penal remedy but he rejected the transfer and continued operating illegal healing prayers at “Mamre Prayer Centre” in Janda Namugongo prompting Archbishop Lwanga and the ecclesiastical tribunal to bar him from performing any sacraments, celebrate mass in the catholic church in July, 2016.
“It is therefore with regret that we wish to inform the general public that after several months of tedious pastoral and canonical attempts to salvage the situation, we have been obliged to suspend Rev Fr Jacinto Kibuuka from the Roman Catholic Priestly ministry,” reads part of the statement by Archbishop Lwanga.
Two years later, Fr. Kibuuka was consecrated a Bishop in the Evangelical Catholic Orthodox Church at Mamre Namugongo.
Several other priests from Uganda and other Catholic dominated states have been suspended over sex abuse allegations, exonerated and some are back to work. Although, there are many voices advocating for the removal of celibacy laws to allow these priests to marry.
