AMECEA: Cardinal Berhaneyesus Joins UEC in Receiving Pope Francis

The Chairman
of AMECEA, H.E. Berhaneyesus D. Cardinal Souraphiel, left Nairobi this morning
for Kampala, Uganda, to join with the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) and the
people of Uganda in welcoming Pope Francis who will be in the country for a 3
day visit.

Cardinal
Berhaneyesus, on his trip, was accompanied by the Secretary General of AMECEA, Very
Rev Ferdinand Lugonzo after having participated in Papal activities in Kenya.

Cardinal
Berhaneyesus, in his capacity as the Chairman of AMECEA, will also represent
AMECEA in the celebration to mark the Golden Jubilee [50 years] since the
canonization of the Uganda Martyrs, a celebration which will be honored by the
presence of the Holy Father as the main celebrant. The President of Uganda,
Yoweri Museveni, and all the people from diverse background will be in
attendance.

While in
Kenya, Cardinal Berhaneyesus, who was hosted by Kenya Conference of Catholic

Prior to the
visit of the Holy Father, Cardinal Berhaneyesus sent a solidarity message to
welcome the Holy Father in the AMECEA region and telling him that the region
feels very much honored by his visit. 

In his
welcoming address, the Cardinal said, “We want to cherish and transmit these
positive values and shun some negative traditions. Children are gifts of God
and they need to be loved and be protected from many abuses, like being
employed as child-soldiers, or mistreated as undocumented migrants, or being
trafficked for prostitution or illegal employments.”

By Fr
Chrisantus Ndaga, AMECEA Online News