The leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Africa and Madagascar, the Patriarch of Alexandria (Egypt) and Africa, Theodore II has asked northern Uganda orthodox leaders and their Kampala counterparts to reconcile.
In April last year, a group of Orthodox leaders from northern Uganda led by Rev Julius Orach petitioned Theodore II to allow them breakaway from Kampala diocese, under whose docket they currently fall.
“Even if the region [northern Uganda] has not got its own Diocese, we should be one family, an orthodox family because we belief that it is through reconciliation that can make us one,” said the Patriarch Theodore through a translator.
Theodore II was speaking to believers on Tuesday at St Nectarious Church in Akonyi Bedo Village in Gulu Municipality.
He was accompanied to Gulu by Bishop Jonah Lwanga Lwanga and the Metropolis of Nubia, North and South Sudan, Bishop Narkissos.
“You have eagerly wanted to see me, but I am already here with you now. I am happy that today I have heard something interesting from you that you want a diocese,’’ Theodore II said.
‘‘In other places people have been asking about schools, health centers….I have taken note of your concerns, but the other thing you (leaders) need to know is that this is not the only region in need of dioceses, Uganda needs three dioceses, and in Africa, we need 20 more, but this can only be approved after discussions with Synods in Alexandria.’’
Speaking to the congregation, the Patriarch said he had heard a lot of complaints from the greater north Region leaders who had wanted to visit him in Alexandria Egypt over their grievances against Bishop Lwanga.
He asked Rev Orach and other orthodox leaders to get united in faith to strengthen the Orthodox Church and increase on the numbers of congregation in the region.
Bishop Orach while addressing the grievances of the church leaders in Northern Uganda to His Beatitude Theodore II accused Bishop Lwanga of sidelining the region in-terms of sponsoring youth in the church to further their education as priests arguing the region has only four priests.
Bishop Lwanga however in an interview with Acholi Times said church matters will be handled at the right time.
“The demand by the leaders in the region to have their own diocese is just a desire they have put forward and we have registered it. We cannot however register the attitudes they have presented in desiring for the diocese. We need to have rules because what they[northern orthodox leaders] are doing is a childish move,” said Bishop Lwanga.
Bishop Lwanga said the accusations against him that he refused to sponsor youth to study for Priesthood is unfounded. The Bishop said he registered youth from northern Uganda for study but none turned up.
Pope Theodore II will spend two of his seven days visit in the country in Gulu district where he is expected to visit various Orthodox churches and meet with the Christians.
While meeting believers at St Nicholas Orthodox Church Namugoona, a Kampala suburb on Monday, the Patriarch Theodore II promised that the church was going to construct a university in the country.
