UGANDA: Bishop Kibira Commissions and Inaugurates New Apostolic Movement:’ Our Common Home Missionaries’
Masereka Peter
The Ordinary of the Diocese of Kasese Rt. Rev. Francis Aquirinus Kibira Kambale, has officially commissioned and inaugurated Our “Common Home Missionaries” as one of the church Movements aimed to implement Pope Francis’s Laudato Si.
Our common home Missionary movement will operate like other movements in the church but mainly overseeing environmental conservation as directed by the Pope in his encyclical that urged Christians to care for Mother Earth.
Bishop Kibira who encouraged his flock to join the movement through practically participating in conserving the environment said tree planting activity is part of the campaign to green the Catholic Church, a move aimed at helping to mitigate the diverse effects of climate change. Amidst the intensified deforestation in the world, the Church aims to engage all local stakeholders in caring for Mother Earth.
Kibira has encouraged priests to sensitize Christians to join the movement which will soon roll to all parishes with, St. Francis of Assisi as their patron saint.
Rev.Fr. Godfrey Sunday and Fr. Andrew Isingoma Katuramu of Ibanda Parish welcomed the new movement calling for collaborated efforts among believers in Christ to achieve the mission of Laudato Si.
According to Fr. Sunday, close to one million wood and fruit trees have been planted across the diocese in collaboration with Catholic Relief Service and Caritas-Kasese the exercise he said will roll to all local church in the diocese as a way of greening the diocese and put Pope’s message in practice.
Fr. Andrew Isingoma the Ibanda Parish priest said the movement will not only engage in environmental conservation but also in prayer meetings and doing pastoral works as other apostolic movements operate in the diocese, encouraging his parishioners to join.
Bishop Kibira had earlier warned the community against deforestation and poor garbage management among others.
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