Uganda: Anglican Church Condemns Church of England’s Decision

The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda, Stephen Samuel Kaziimba, has reacted to the recent vote by the Anglican Church of England approving the liturgical blessing of same-sex unions.

“Criticizing the decision as an attempt to appease both sides . . . by proposing a contradiction,” Stephen Kaziimba said that the Church of England has “decided to allow clergy to preside at blessing of same-sex unions and approved supplemental prayers and liturgies for such occasions.” He added that “the Church of England is very good at making contradictory statements and expecting everyone to believe that both can be true at the same time.”

Kaziimba continues by denouncing manipulation: “The Church of England insists that it is not changing its doctrine of marriage. But, in practice, they are doing precisely that.” He insists, “But, what I want you to know is that if it looks like a wedding, and sounds like a wedding...it is a wedding.”

The Anglican prelate then recalls that the condemnation of sodomy is contained in Scripture, and the central place of the family, which is defined as the union between a man and a woman, can be seen on all the pages of the Bible.

The Ugandan official then affirmed that the Anglican Church of Uganda would remain faithful to the biblical teaching on “lifelong and exclusive marriage between one man and one woman,” refusing to accept or bless sexual sins. He condemned the Church of England as departing from this teaching of revelation.

Stephens Kaziimba then recalled the witness of the Ugandan Catholic martyrs, who were killed for refusing to engage in homosexual acts demanded by the country's rulers. These martyrs, killed between 1885 and 1887, are also considered as such by Anglicans.

“We all know the story of the Ugandan Martyrs,” continues Kaziimba, “how they refused to engage in homosexual sex with their leaders. They stood firm in their Christian faith and were martyred for it. We cannot betray them or our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Prelate then challenged the Church of England to depart from the “Anglican Communion”: “We now want to ask the Church of England: ‘Do you have the integrity to step out of the Anglican Communion because you have departed from the Anglican faith?’”

“We pray for them to repent,” he continued. “And, if they refuse to repent, we call them to have the integrity to form their own Canterbury Communion... We think it’s a bad idea, but they are free to do it. But they are not free to drag the whole Anglican Communion with them. The Anglican Communion is not an extension of the Church of England.”

The Anglican leader concluded: “Today I am here today to declare, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' The House of Bishops is united on this. The Provincial Assembly is united on this -- ‘As for me and the Church of Uganda, we will serve the Lord.’”

Moral differences have plagued the Anglican Communion for more than 20 years, and it has repeatedly avoided split by compromise. The most traditional tendency is represented above all among the Anglicans of Africa. It seems that a serious rupture is now close.