UGANDA: Bishop Wanok Advocates for Unity in Fight Against Corruption
Arch Bishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama flanked by other Bishops and the priests in group photo at the climax of Peace and Prayer Week in Gulu city
Fr Isaac Ojok
The Bishop of Lira Diocese Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok has reiterated his call for people to walk together in the fight against corruption in the society.
While making a presentation on the second day of the Peace and Prayer week in Gulu City on the 23rd of April 2024, the bishop explained that synodality is walking together, with eyes focused on Christ.
According to Bishop Wanok, walking in the spirit of synodality should help people to eradicate corruption, misuse of drugs, murder, and theft from the community.
He mentioned that the mission of walking together in synodality started long time in the history of the church with example of Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus who walked and lived together in peace and harmony at Nazareth.
Today the bishop stressed that walking together in the spirit of Synodality should first start and be understood in the context of the family which is the core and the domestic church where other values can be nurtured.
In his address the bishop went on to say God created people to walk together in the same way, to testify about the new life brought by Jesus Christ.
By way of walking together in the spirit of synodality the bishop further stressed that everyone should participate in building and shaping just society which is free from corruption just like God a builder of humanity.
In the struggle to shape our community the bishop disclosed that it requires all Christians to exercise their prophetic and Kingly roles to enable the society to be modeled
Meanwhile, Rt Rev Sabino Ochan Odoki the bishop of Arua Diocese while making his reflection on the theme ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission’, noted that the Ecclesiastical Province of Gulu was already an example of the Synodalilty through the Peace and Prayer Week that held among dioceses within Gulu Province on rotational basis.
He emphasized that the Peace and Prayer Week means that the Dioceses of Gulu, Arua, Nebbi and Lira under their acronym of GANAL have been journeying together in synodality to promote the Gospel of love, peace and unity.
He told the pilgrims of peace that if they are peaceful, it contributes to the peace of the whole world as a whole.
Bishop Sabino then asked the pilgrims to become missionaries of peace, love and unity and to be witnesses of the Synodal process.
Bishop Odoki said northern Uganda had experienced a period of turbulence and lived in darkness because we forgot God, tried to be ourselves and therefore went astray.
He said his prayer is that the Peace Prayer Week helps the region to embrace the light of Christ with faith and be connected to God, the true source of peace.
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