Lwanga lived and breathed the Catholic social teaching

Fr Fred Jenga

What you need to know:

  • According to Catholic social teaching, all human life is sacred and any forms of violence towards life are unacceptable.

As the news cycle in Uganda gradually moves away from the death of Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, it is heartwarming to read of a sitting of the Ugandan Parliament to pay tribute to the fallen Archbishop.

Kampala Capital City Council Authority also had a sitting and passed a resolution to name a road after the prelate.  

The glowing tributes at both sittings described the archbishop as a shepherd who was deeply concerned about good governance, the respect of human rights, and one concerned about integral and inclusive development.

However, what is missing in all the reflections about the late archbishop’s life is the naming of the impulses that guided his approach to life.

The Archbishop’s public commentary and counsel on social issues such as good governance, respect for human rights, and concern about the common good was one of the most controversial and numerous occasions elicited a negative back clash.  He was repeatedly accused of wading into partisan politics, without due consideration of the worldview that guided his life.

The Archbishop was a man deeply rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and was unapologetic about what that part of his faith proposed. As the joke goes within the Catholic circles, Catholic Social Teaching is the church’s “best kept secrets.”  It is a teaching within the Catholic church that offers a vision of human life and society grounded in the value and respect of the dignity of all human life.

While Catholic Social Teaching is a core teaching of the Catholic faith, it is minimally taught in most Catholic seminaries, and even less popularised among lay Catholics.  
 The late Archbishop Lwanga drew inspiration from Catholic social teaching and embodied its message.

According to Catholic social teaching, all human life is sacred and any forms of violence towards life are unacceptable. The archbishop’s outspokenness against domestic violence, and his criticism of the disproportionate use of force against civilians by law enforcement agencies, was informed by such a world view. He fought for the protection of all life, the prevention of violent conflict, and he advocated for the pursuit of peaceful means in resolving conflict.  

 Catholic Social Teaching also exhorts that in the areas of politics, economics, law and policy, society needs to be organised in a way that protects the dignity of all people.
 
Every individual has a right and a duty to fully participate in society. Any intentional manipulation of law, economic systems, or political organisation that excludes or denies particular individuals  or groups full participation is unacceptable.

The late archbishop Lwanga fought for a fair political playing field, and resisted any demonisation or exclusion of individuals or groups from  full participation in the public and social life of Uganda.  Through development programmes such as Wekembe and Caritas, the late archbishop lived out a core invitation of Catholic social teaching for society to prioritise the needs of the poor and the vulnerable. How society treats its poor and the vulnerable determines whether it passes or fails the moral test.

 The archbishop’s participation in the Inter Religious Council of Uganda, the Uganda Joint Christian Council, and his welcoming disposition towards people of different ethnic, religious, economic, and ideological backgrounds was in itself a demonstration of his value for human solidarity despite our human differences. Human solidarity across all borders is a key theme of Catholic social teaching.

 You want to understand the late archbishop Lwanga’s public views on matters of human rights, social justice, and his concern for the common good? Get yourself a copy of Catholic Social Teaching. It will clarify his mindset, and it will also help you dispel any presumptions of ill intent.

Jenga is a Catholic priest