Kasenene saga tarnishing image of Catholic Church
As a Catholic, I am writing with a heart full of sadness because of the controversy, which is currently raging around Minister of State for Privatisation Peter Kasenene. The level of demonisation of a man who is so dedicated to his faith and Church is shocking. While some have called for his resignation as president of the Catholic Laity, the more zealous have called for his excommunication.
Rev. Fr. Kanyike of Makerere University even called him a Protestant. All this because Prof. Kasenene expressed a contrary political viewpoint from that attributed to the Catholic bishops.
I believe much if this controversy is intended to raise the political temperature and stampede the nation in a certain direction. Take the example of Mr Vincent Bua (The Monitor, 9 June) who invoked moral and ethical questions. How does the so-called third term become a moral and ethical issue for Catholics?
I am sure that there are many Catholics, including myself, who have disagreed with religious leaders, though not on Catholic doctrine.
I have never felt that my disagreement was a mark of disobedience or disrespect. Neither did I believe that I was violating the tenets of my faith. Political differences have nothing to do with Catholic doctrine. For that reason, I would respectfully disagree with Fr Kanyike that Prof. Kasenene�s views amounted to becoming a non-Catholic.
To accept Fr Kanyike�s argument is to believe that every statement from a Catholic religious leader, whether doctrinal or not, is equivalent to Catholic dogma. What is doctrinal about the third term?
I urge those concerned to remove the confusion, through clarification, that to disagree with a bishop�s political point of view is not a violation of Catholic doctrine. The attacks on Prof. Kasenene would unfortunately confirm a stereotype and prejudiced view that Catholic political leaders are Church-driven and receive orders from Rome.
This, of course, is nonsense. Please do not fuel this meaningless controversy. It is tarnishing the image of the Catholic Church. To drive Prof. Kasenene from the chair of the Catholic Laity will give a picture of an intolerant Church, which cannot accommodate differing points of view, which I know is not true.
Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka,
Kampala.
__________
bwanika
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