UGANDA: Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Ssemogerere Apostolic Administrator for Kampala Archdiocese

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Pope Francis on Thursday, April 8, appointed Bishop Paul Ssemogerere of Kasana-Luweero Diocese as the Apostolic Administrator of Kampala Archdiocese. The appointment comes following the death of Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga which occurred on Holy Saturday, April 3.

While addressing the congregants during the funeral Mass of the late Archbishop Lwanga on Thursday, April 8, the Apostolic Nuncio in Uganda Archbishop Luigi Bianco disclosed the message assuring Christians that the Archdiocese will have a caretaker.

“The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the name of His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed His Lordship Paul Ssemogerere, Bishop of the Diocese of Kasana-Luweero as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Kampala,” Archbishop Bianco said.

“The Holy See expresses gratitude and sends best wishes to Bishop Paul Ssemogerere and invites him to collaborate in exercising of his responsibility in the service of this Archdiocese of Kampala in this time of a vacant See,” the Pope’s representative said during the Eucharistic celebration held at the Sacred Heart Lubaga Cathedral adding that, “May God bless all of us.”

Bishop Ssemogerere was ordained a priest of Kampala in 1983, and ordained the second Local Ordinary of Uganda’s Kasan-Luwero Diocese in 2008 succeeding Archbishop Kizito Lwanga who had been transferred to Kampala Archdiocese in August 2006.

Sending his condolences to the Christian, members of Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) Church, clergy, Religious and the entire Catholic Church of Uganda, the Vatican diplomat said, “It is an occasion to be grateful to God and to the late Archbishop for his generous pastoral ministry in the evangelization and in the promotion of integral human development.”

He expressed that Archbishop Lwanga died on Holy Saturday, at a time when the Church was in prayer and fasting meditating on the passion and death of Christ and awaiting of his resurrection just days after he celebrated Chrism Mass with the clergy and a day after participating in ecumenical Way of the Cross.

He concluded, “Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and Uganda Martyrs, may Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga be admitted as faithful servant of God in the kingdom of heaven forever.”