16/02/2023
CHURCH MARTYR
Late Archbishop Janani Luwum of Uganda
Today is the eighth year since 16th February was established as a national day to honour the fallen emissary of God former Archbishop of Uganda, Janani Luwum.
It’s also marking 46 years since he met his death at the hands of former President Field Marsal Idi Amin Dada.
Luwum began his priesthood journey in 1954 when he has ordained a priest in the United Kingdom and was consecrated as Bishop of Northern Uganda in 1969, and in 1974 was appointed the Archbishop of the Metropolitan Province of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga.
In his times, it was tough to lead a Christian church since Gen Amin was accusing church leaders of preaching bloodshed and hatred. It’s recalled during his Christmas broadcast of 1975 Amin banned church fundraising.
However, the maverick clergyman, went on and did the opposite of the orders of Gen Amin and took his role to defend the church by constantly criticizing the tough government orders that were intended to affect a particular community.
In his fight for church justice, Bishop Luwum was always willing to meet with Amin to discuss the church’s view on the government’s actions unfortunately his total willingness to settle issues with Gen Amin on the round table, instead created another wave of critics and this time it was from his fellow Christians who begun to accuse him of kowtowing with the regime.
Confessions from those who implicate Archbishop Luwum and two others in trading illegal arms in support of Milton Obote were read, and when Amin finally addressed the crowd he asked for all those who supported the death penalty of the accused to raise their hands.
The soldiers in the front started roaring. “Kill them!” they shouted in Kiswahili.
The Archbishop and the two other accused were led away. As he left, Luwum turned to Bishop Festo Kivengere and said, “They are going to kill me. I am not afraid.”
Archbishop Janani Luwum was correct. He died that day. It’s said that that same night, Idi Amin held a raucous party, to which he had invited all the soldiers and cabinet members present at the rally to condemn the Archbishop.
Luwum together with two men were taken to the army barracks and heavily beaten and tortured before being shot. Their families were not allowed to take possession of their loved ones’ bodies, but most of the Archbishop’s family had fled to Kenya upon his arrest leaving behind only his elderly mother, an uncle, and a daughter.
After several days, soldiers brought Archbishop Luwum’s body to the house of his mother, where she was sitting alone and unaware that he had been arrested. They demanded that she tell them where to bury him, and she directed them to the village graveyard.
It was already evening and the soldiers had trouble digging a grave in the rocky soil of the village, so they abandoned their attempts and left for the night, warning Luwum’s mother that they would return the next day and that no one was to approach the coffin.
Archbishop Luwum’s mother and the other villager ignored the warning and unsealed the Archbishop’s coffin, It was then that his extensive torture and several bullet wounds, including one through his mouth, were discovered and recorded.
Courtesy: watchdoguganda.com
