Put differences aside, Christians urged

Clerics from the Anglican Church with other followers remember the martyrs. Below, left, a man sells roast meet at the shrines, while right a scout attends to a faithful. PHOTOS BY STEPHEN WANDERA & STEPHEN OTAGE. 

By Ephraim Kasozi
 

 

Kampala

At the Anglican shrine, a Nigerian preacher, Bishop Timothy Yahaya, asked Ugandans to put their differences aside and unite.

“Stop preaching the gospel basing on tribes, divisions and culture because the word of God should be for all. There is no gospel for those in the north or south neither for the rich nor poor; we should all work towards being faithful witnesses to the end,” said Bishop Yahaya.

Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stanley Ntagali described the martyrs’ blood as seed of the church, which believers need to emulate to improve society.

The Prime Minister, Mr Amama Mbabazi, asked believers to emulate the martyrs and work for good causes and better livelihood. “A cause must be good but that one leading to death is not desirable. I appeal to the religious leaders to teach our society to sacrifice and give because these are not common in our in our society,” said Mr Mbabazi.

Retired Principal Judge James Ogoola said: “In remembering the martyrs of Uganda, let us remember all the martyrs. Let us remember Janani Luwum, a martyr of modern times. A martyr whom many of us today knew in person as the supreme shepherd, the third archbishop of our Church of Uganda,” he said.
He also said missionary James Hanington killed near River Nile was a martyr.