Christmas Message of the Uganda Episcopal Conference 2024

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF THE UGANDA EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE

 

Dear brothers and Sisters,

We, the Catholic Bishops of Uganda greet you with the words of the angel who was sent to the shepherds “Do not be afraid, for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David a saviour has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord” (Lk. 2:10-11). Merry Christmas to you all! May the love and peace of the Child Jesus be with you!

 

Christmas is an important opportunity for us Christians to relive our encounter with God through the mystery of incarnation, whose assurance stands out boldly in the word Emmanue/ (God with us) (Is 7:14). In Christmas we are reminded that we are children of God, a chosen people, a people whose history and daily struggles He has honoured with the gift of His only Son Jesus Christ (1 Pt 2:9).

 

We invite you during this Christmas, in particular, to reflect and focus on strengthening the family as the nucleus of society and the Church, by emulating the Holy Family of Nazareth, the model of peace, love and service. We believe that “Jesus was born and lived in a concrete family, accepting all its characteristic features and he conferred the highest dignity on the institution of marriage, making it a sacrament of the new covenant” (Social Doctrine of the Church #210).

 

As Pope Francis pointed out in his Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (par. 11), “The couple that loves and begets life is a true, living icon — not an idol like those of stone or gold prohibited by the Decalogue – capable of revealing God the Creator and Saviour. For this reason, fruitful love becomes a symbol of God’s inner life (cf. Gen 1:28; 9: 7; 17:2-5, 16; 28:3; 35:11; 48:3-4).”

 

We are aware of the fact that building and sustaining strong families today is more challenging than ever before. The family subsists in extreme circumstances occasioned by technological advancements or modernity generally. The family today is threatened by high cost of living, education, health care and other social services; violence; inadequate or lack of parental guidance; and misconstrued concept of human sexuality.

Many families are disintegrating under the weight of these challenges, leaving children with fewer options for parental support and upbringing. In some cases this has caused disillusionment on the part of children and greatly affected their development, while some parents have, out of frustration, turned their anger on innocent children. We are alive to scenes of children dumped in bushes, road side and toilets, and many others brutalized by careless or frustrated parents. It is a situation that we must all work together to stop so that the dignity of the family, includin those headed by single parents, can be restored and the rights of children be respected.

 

We recognize the role of Government in protecting the family through appropriate policies and laws. Indeed, our national Constitution (Article 31) guarantees the right of man and woman to marry and categorically states that marriage shall be between man and woman of 18 years and above who shall enjoy equal rights. Many laws have also been enacted to ensure matters pertaining to family are effectively administered. We have the Marriage Act for Christians, the Customary Marriage (Registration) Act 1973 for traditionalists, the Marriage and Divorce of Mohammedans Act. 15 April, 1906 for Muslims, and the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 for Hindus. These laws are intended to guarantee the stability of society by cushioning the family against any destabilizing factors. Laws should not be passed to distort or dilute the core values of the institution of the family.

 

Besides the family, during Christmastide we encourage each one of us to pray for our country to overcome the social, political, economic and environmental contradictions that continue to hamper our progress towards attaining a prosperous, united, peaceful and democratic society. We are aware of the rising unemployment among the youth, suspicion and hatred among political actors, interference with lawful activities of some political groups and growing poverty in many households in Uganda. Christmas is a perfect occasion to commit these situations to God.

 

In conclusion, we re-emphasize the centrality of the family as ordained by God (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18, Mk 10:6-9) and the need, therefore, for the State and all citizens of Uganda and expatriates to protect it for the good of our society and country.

 

We also take this opportunity to remind you that the year

 

2025 has been declared by Pope Francis as a Jubilee Year. During this year we are called upon to be pilgrims of hope and renew our relationship with God, neighbour and the rest of creation (Rom. 8:22). We encourage all dioceses to draw appropriate plans for this period so that believers may derive maximum spiritual renewal, growth and benefits.

 

Once again, we wish you a blessed Christmas and a happy new year 2025.