Bishop decries fraudulent clerics
The Bishop of Soroti Diocese, Hosea Odong preaches at Namugongo Anglican Shrine yesterday. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE
Bishop of Soroti Diocese Hosea Odong has criticised what he called the extortionist behaviour among fellow bishops who fleece their flock to live a luxury life.
While preaching at the Iteso annual Church service at Namugongo Anglican Shrine yesterday, Bishop Odong said there are bishops whom Christians adore because they are living larger than life by fleecing their flock. He did not name the culpable bishops.
He also said many Christians nowadays attend Church but when they return home they revert to their satanic ways.
“These days when people see a bishop they run away because he is dressed up in expensive clothes. We have people in church here who are cohabiting and have refused to wed.
“We have drunkards in church here, we have women who have allowed to be the 14th wife to one man,” Bishop Odong said, adding that in Soroti District, some women are hostile to him for preaching against beautifying themselves in salons using artificial hair and makeup.
“You find women wearing hair that God never created them with. Christians come to church skimpily dressed, men are drunk and some women do not mind being wife number 14,” he charged.
Rev Canon Henry Segawa, the principal of Uganda Martyrs Seminary Namugongo, said the Iteso annual church service is an initiative by the seminary started in 2007 to introduce a community demonstration church because some churches were turning divisive.
Reconciliation
“A church is not supposed to be divided along tribal or ethnic lines but this is a community of reconciled people which is the way the church can expand. We started with Runyakitara in 2007, followed by the Iteso and now we have the Luo and the Buganda Christians here did not object when we requested them,” he said.
He said in case there are disagreements among Christians, it is the duty of the Church to bring them together and preach forgiveness.
The annual Iteso Church service brings together the Iteso community living in Kampala to pray at the Anglican Church in Namugongo.
