Namirembe Diocese Bishop Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira has commended the Anglican Church leaders for taking a firm decision to cut ties with the Church of England.
The clergy, who gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, from April 17 to April 21, for the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon), took a stand to break way following the February General Synod’s resolution to allow clergy to bless same-sex unions.
Presiding over the confirmation ceremony for more than 100 children held at St Peter’s Church in Kisaasi, Kampala yesterday, Bishop Luwalira said the Church of Uganda cannot bow to the pressure from people who are doubting God’s authority by allowing gay activities in church.
“We are talking about people from the West, who have come to erode our values and identity. We commend those who went to Kigali and still talked against gay activities. We pray for them to continue being spiritually sensitive and know what they are supposed to do for the church to remain firm and focused,” he said.
Bishop Luwalira also urged the parents to pray for their children to get knowledge and be able to differentiate between what is good and what is bad so that they don’t fall prey to gay activities.
While presenting his statement at the closure of this year’s Gafcon, Archbishop Kaziimba said Church of Uganda would not recognise the Church of England’s General Synod decision to provide prayers of blessing for same-sex unions, something he said was not part of the Bible.
The Archbishop used the same occasion to announce a break away from Canterbury.
“Archbishop of Canterbury has abdicated his historic place as the ‘First among Equals’ among the Primates and Churches of the Anglican Communion, and we no longer recognise him as our leader,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
“The Church of England’s General Synod decision to provide prayers of blessing for same-sex unions and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s enthusiastic support for it are decisions we can’t recognise and have resulted in breaking fellowship with him and the Church of England.”He added.
