Full text of joint statement by Pope Francis and Tawadros II

Kampala, Uganda, Jun 8, 2018 / 03:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- They came by plane, by bus, and even on foot: pilgrims traveled thousands of miles to Uganda’s Catholic shrine for the feast of the Uganda Martyrs, celebrated each year June 3.

Police estimated that this year’s crowd, which gathered at the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs in Namugongo, totaled as many as 4 million. While most hail from Uganda, many came from other countries, including Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Japan, and the United States.

“The devotion is strong because many people have had their prayers answered through the intercession of the Uganda Martyrs,” Francis, a representative of the shrine, told CNA.

Every year, thousands of pilgrims make the trek to the shrine on foot, including 90 year-old Mzee Bernado Tibyangye, who walked for two weeks to attend the celebration this year.

“When I was young I used to pray through St. Andrew Kaggwa, one of my favorite Uganda Martyrs, and I would always ask him to intercede for me so that my faith grows stronger each day,” Mzee told the Ugandan bishops’ conference.

“This year, I want to ask the Uganda Martyrs to intercede for my family for peace and provision as well as other unmarried families so that they can be able to respond to God’s calling. I also want God to heal my feet so the pain that I am feeling can stop. This healing will be a testimony to many old people so that they can start coming for this pilgrimage,” he said.

A young pilgrim in Mzee’s group told the bishops’ conference that even though he was tired, he was excited to participate in the celebration.

“…God gave me courage and strength to keep walking and I know that He will surely bless me. This is my first time to come for this Namugongo pilgrimage, and I came to pray for healing because I have a problem with my eyes and legs,” said 11 year-old Crescent Tindimwebwa, who made the trek with his grandmother.

The shrine, built on the site where most of the martyrs were killed, is located about 10 miles northeast of downtown Kampala.

An aerial shot of the celebration, provided by the Ugandan bishops’ conference, shows the vast crowds of pilgrims spilling out into the surrounding streets.

“This is what it looks like when more than a million people gather together to worship God,” tweeted Catholic advocate Obianuju Ekeocha.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>This was 2 days ago in Uganda on the feast of the Ugandan Martyrs… this is what it looks like when more than a million people gather together to worship God.<br>Yes! we believe in God the Almighty Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!!!<br><br>*video by Ugandan Episcopal Conference <a href=”https://t.co/kuaHQZC5z4″>pic.twitter.com/kuaHQZC5z4</a></p>&mdash; Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) <a href=”https://twitter.com/obianuju/status/1003961367144157184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>June 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The feast of the Uganda Martyrs honors 24 Catholic martyrs from the country, 22 of whom were killed between 1885 and 1887 under King Mwanga of Buganda (now a part of Uganda), and two others who were killed in 1918 in Northern Uganda. Twenty-three Anglican Ugandans were also killed for their Christian faith within the same time period.

In the late 1800s in Africa, European powers were scrambling to colonize Africa. During this time of colonization, Christian missionaries also began to arrive and to evangelize the newly-acquired European territories.

Among the Catholic missionary groups were the White Fathers (named for the color of their robes), now known as the Missionaries of Africa, who were successfully evangelizing within Buganda.

Some of the Buganda Catholic converts included young pages in the court of King Mwanga, who grew increasingly intolerant of Christianity, likely for two reasons: he saw it as a threat to his power, and he resented the young Christian pages who rejected his sexual advances.

The first Catholic martyr was Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, who was beheaded and burnt Nov. 15, 1885, for pleading with Mwanga to spare the life of James Hannington, and Anglican bishop who was to be killed for his missionary activities.

Many of the other martyrs were killed in May of the following year. On May 25, they were ordered to go on a days-long death march to Namugongo for refusing to denounce their faith. Several were killed along the way by spear for refusing to continue walking, or for collapsing from exhaustion.

One of the martyrs, Mathias Kalemba Mulumba, was killed in a particularly gruesome way. After two days of marching, he refused to walk further and asked for his execution. First his hands were cut off, then some of his flesh, and then his legs. However, his executioners stemmed the blood flow so that he would not die a quick death from blood loss. He died three days later from dehydration.

The other martyrs who made it to Namugongo were kept alive for about a week, during which time they gathered what would be the instruments of their execution – firewood and reeds.

On June 3, 1886, Charles Lwanga became the first of these to be martyred. He was ordered by the executioners to prepare his own death bed of firewood, and was then wrapped in reeds and burned to death. Twelve other Catholic martyrs were then also burned alive, along with thirteen Anglicans and several other prisoners.

Three decades later, in northern Uganda, catechists Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa were dragged from their hut by a group of attackers and speared to death, Oct. 18, 1918.

Popular devotion to the martyrs remained strong in the country, and Charles Lwanga and his companions were beatified June 6, 1920. Bl. Paul VI canonized the group Oct. 18, 1964. The two catechists, Okello and Irwa, were beatified by St. John Paul II Oct. 20, 2002.

Miracles attributed to the martyrs include the curing of the bubonic plague in two religious sisters, and the curing of a physical deformity in the feet and legs of a young boy.

Francis, the shrine’s representative, said the witness of the martyrs should be a source of strength and courage for any Christians who experience persecution today.

“When one chooses what’s right, he or she is remembered and treasured forever,” he told CNA.

“Choosing Christ may, (for) a time, cause physical pain, neglect, abuses, etc., but Christ always remains with you and you always win.”

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Cairo, Egypt, Mar 2, 2017 / 03:27 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A spike in attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, spurred by a video threat from ISIS, has drawn the prayers and concern of advocates, who are urging global leaders to take notice.

“American… […]

Aleppo, Syria, Apr 6, 2017 / 02:53 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The attitude of Christians in Aleppo seems to have improved since Syrian government forces re-took the city, and they believe the prayers of Christians abroad have helped them, one religious sister reports.

Sister Maria Sponsa Iusti Ioseph, a native of Peru, told CNA that the Christians in Aleppo have received with love the words of Pope Francis.

When government forces took the city from rebels in December, the sisters told the faithful “that the Holy Father is praying for us and a lot of people in the world are too.”

“They really appreciate that and they feel protected by the prayers of Christians,” Sister Maria Sponsa said. “At the same time they feel very happy because they know that their suffering is not in vain, but it helps the people in the West. If they know that there are conversions because of that offering, that gives them a lot of strength to go on.”

The sister is a religious of the Institute of the Incarnate Word who lives in the city of Aleppo, which was taken from rebels in December 2016. She recounted how Christians have lived in the last four months.

The Christians in Aleppo attend Mass frequently. Before Mass, they pray a Rosary for peace.

“Once a month a Eucharist is celebrated for the deceased in the Cathedral of the Child Jesus,” Sister Maria Sponsa said. “Now thanks be to God, the Christian cemetery has been recovered—it was controlled by the rebels. Christians can visit their dead again and bring over bodies interred elsewhere for burial there.”

Sister María Sponsa said that the people’s attitude has improved since the government’s capture of the city. This change was noticeable during Christmas.

“We saw that people were walking happily down the street. Their faces were completely changed,” she said. “Even though they are usually very cheerful, you could notice another kind of joy. It was like a respite.”

“Some of the window lights were lit up and the churches had also decorated their domes with lights. They even set up a Christmas tree in the street.”

During previous Christmases since the civil war began, “there were no lights in the windows, nor were there churches decorated with lights, nor was there any Christmas atmosphere.”

“When we visited the people we would ask them if they had set up a manger scene, but they didn’t want to have one because it brought back memories for them,” Sister Maria Sponsa reported. “Before the war they lived so happily, they shared the holidays with their families. And so it was depressing for them to put out those things that represented those memories in the midst of a difficult situation.”

However, for the 2016 holidays some people put out their decorations again.

The religious sister also stressed that the suffering caused by shortages in the city, such as water, food and shelter, has resulted in Christian and Muslim neighbors working together to survive.

“Today we all share the same lot. Everyone is suffering because of this situation. They help each other out. The people of Aleppo are very respectful and very open, thanks be to God,” she said. “That makes it easier for good relationships among everyone.”

Sister María Sponsa said that the home of the Incarnate Word sisters in Aleppo is open to anyone who wants to visit them.

“People like to come to the house. And so we have little get-togethers, have a little coffee,” she said. “We even have coffee with the people after Sunday Mass. They enjoy it. They talk with us and get a little relief from the situation they’re going through.”

For Sister Maria Sponsa, Syrians “express affection very differently from Latinos.”

“It seems to me they’re much warmer,” she said. “For example after five minutes they say ‘I miss you.’ When they know you well they call you and ask how you’re doing.”

“There, you hardly come into a house and they don’t ask you if you’re going to have coffee. They say, ‘with or without sugar?’  They talk with you for five minutes and then they give you the coffee,” she commented.

The Franciscans and the Salesians usually prepare the Christian children, youths and adults to receive the sacraments for the first time.

The religious  sister said that every Thursday the sisters get together with the young college students they welcome into their home.

“We talk, we give them a little doctrine, sometimes we watch movies and play board games,” she said. “For them it’s a time of fun and distraction. They’re always waiting for it to be Thursday so we can get together.”

They also organize a co-ed gathering once a month, since the men live with the priests of the same institute.

“When we can take a little walk, we go to the park, although it’s not that safe. We watch movies with them or we invite them.”

The Syrian civil war began in March 2011 with demonstrations against the nation’s president, Bashar al-Assad. The war has claimed the lives of more than 320,000 people, and forced 4.8 million to become refugees. Another 8 million Syrians are believed to have been internally displaced by the violence.

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