The faith denomination religious leaders under umbrella organisation, The Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) earlier this month warned to stop misleading Christians with false doctrine is set to receive supported from government, according to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire.
Kahinda Otafiire has said the Antiochian Eastern Orthodox Church is recognised by government as an independent faith denomination.
“Nobody in leadership should interfere in the matters of faith unless if it’s against the law,” the 66-year-old said on Sunday while speaking at an event the faith group ordained its new Bishop, Jacinto Kibuuka.
The ordained, was on 12 July last year suspended by Kampala Archbishop (Catholic Hierarchy) Cyprian Kizito Lwanga for disobedience, abuse of clerical powers, failing to terminate operations of an unauthorized place of worship, and scoffing at an internal Church trial on him.
The Uganda Episcopal Conference said in its letter to one local news daily endorsed by its Chairman, the Most Rev Odama that the similarity of the Antiochian Eastern Orthodox Church liturgy to the Roman rite is notable and wrong.
“No genuine Eastern Catholic Rite uses vestments of the Catholic Roman Rite. Furthermore, their way of dress and liturgy is quite different from ours,” he said.
“Let Kibuuka and his group stop misleading the innocent faithful with false doctrine,” he added.
Jean-Marie Nsamby, a former scribe of The New Vision and seminarian for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux says Eastern Catholic Churches as we know them, though self-governing, remain in full communion with the pope.
“This means they are guided by the tradition passed on to the Catholic Church by the Twelve Apostles, but separately are regulated by the Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches (CCEO),” he says.
Sources claim the Antiochian Orthodox Church traces its beginnings to Acts 11:26: “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” The Antiochian Orthodox Church claims that the apostle Peter founded their church in AD 34 and that Paul joined Peter soon thereafter in Antioch.
The Antiochian Orthodox Church also points to Acts 6:5, which mentions “Nicolas from Antioch” as one of the first seven deacons, as an indicator of the importance of the Antioch church in the first century. The Antiochian Orthodox Church claims an unbroken line of apostolically appointed bishops from Peter’s time to now.
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
