Uganda Catholic Bishop Apologises to Sexual Abuse Victims

By Godfrey Olukya
The Africa Report
April 3, 2013

http://www.theafricareport.com/East-Horn-Africa/uganda-catholic-bishop-apologises-to-sexual-abuse-victims.html


A top Ugandan Roman Catholic Church bishop has apologised to victims of sexual abuse by the church's priests in the East African country after a priest exposed the scandal.

Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, the leader of the church in Uganda made the apology after a letter written by Father Anthony Musaala exposing the abuse found its way into Facebook.



Last month Father Musaala wrote a letter to Lwanga complaining that many Catholic priests and bishops in the country had wives and children.



He also called on the church to allow Ugandan clerics to marry.


Musaala warned that it was a "matter of time before common sense prevails and marriage for the clergy in the Latin rite church is accepted".


He claimed that he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest when he was 16 and warned that many children could have fallen victim.

In an Easter message, Lwanga who had at first rubbished Musaala's allegations acknowledged problems in the church.

"Catholics should not get scared about what Father Musaala said because God will help us overcome it," he said.

"It is sad that there has been some misbehaving by some priests as alleged.

"A commission of inquiry has been put in place to inquire into the matter."

But Lwanga said the findings of the investigations would not be made public as the church would use its internal structures to resolve the problem.



Musaala says the church had asked him to stop making public statements about the abuse.

"I can not talk to the press," he said.

"I made an agreement with the Archbishop not to talk to the media."

Musaala was suspended by the church last month after the letter was made public.