UGANDA: Kasese Diocese in Uganda Commences Environmental Protective Campaign
Fr Sunday and Fr Cosmas with other Stakeholders Planting at Tree at Kyalhumba Parish After The Meeting
Masereka Peter
In practical implementation of the message of the Holy Father the Laudato Si, the Diocese of Kasese has further efforts in mobilizing communities on the use of tree planting and conserves the natural resources as one way of protecting the environment.
This follows the appointment of Rev. Fr. Cosmas Asaba and Rev. Fr. Godfrey Sunday as Diocesan Coordinators of Laudato Si, the second encyclical of Pope Francis, which calls for humanity to reflect on the destruction that humans are rendering on the environment.
Kasese District in Uganda is annually faced with environmental disasters including floods, landsides and drought among others following the increased deforestation, wetland encroachment and other human activities.
In 2020, Uganda Catholic Church launched an environmental protection campaign as inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, where a group of priests in Uganda worked to sensitize people about the devastating effects of environmental degradation.
In 2022 the Uganda Episcopal conference in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) an international humanitarian agency founded under the United states of Conference of Catholic Bishops, operating in more than 100 countries, added another stone on the campaign of sensitizing the community in train diocesan Laudato Si coordinator in Dioceses across the country on environment conservation.
Recently in stakeholders meeting from various local churches in Kyalhumba Parish, Rev. Fr. Cosmas Asaba who is also the Parish Priest said the catholic relief services in partnership with the Uganda Episcopal Conference championed the message of the Pope and appointed priests in each diocese to popularize Laudato Si in their respective churches.
Fr. Cosmas said following the impact of climate change, every Christian is encouraged to plant at least ten trees annually and put more emphasis in protecting natural resources as the best way of combating global warming.
Rev Fr. Sunday Godfrey said in his encyclical letter, Pope Francis wonders why with all the available natural resources and fertile soil, continents such as Africa fail to produce good agricultural products that would attract the world market but only depend on food relief from less fertile countries, urging Africans to wake up and utilize the available resources.
Mr. Fulgencio Ssumba, challenged believers in Christ to ask for God’s blessings basing on what they have planted this season than making lamentations.
The chairperson local council three for Kyalhumba Sub County, Mr. Jackson Baluku Mughuruka said, the restoration of environment caused by the recent devastated floods and landslides can be attained through conserving the environment.
Caritas Kasese in partnership with Centenary Bank donated trees to all the participants.
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