UGANDA: OROMBI BACKS US BREAK-AWAY PARISHES

By Izama Angelo & Rosebell Kagumire, The Monitor

Sept. 1, 2004, KAMPALA

The Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi, has said the Anglican community will not turn away dissident churches who wish to abandon the Episcopal Church of America for supporting gay marriages.

In an interview with The Monitor at All Saints Church yesterday, Orombi said the US churches were in distress and were reaching out for help from the conservative, anti-gay Anglican world, to which Uganda belongs.

Three US parishes last week defected from their community in Los Angeles to Luweero Diocese headed by the Rt. Rev. Evans Kisseka, when their Bishop, Jon Bruno, pledged support for homosexual unions.

"It is a distress call from those parishes which did not support homosexuality. They were literally desperate. It's like when someone's house catches fire and they are screaming for help, you just can't turn away. We are not asking for administrative jurisdiction. Those breakaway parishes need our fellowship," Orombi said, adding that Uganda had been approached for help and not the other way round.

His comments come after the head of ECUSA, Bishop Frank Griswold, asked Uganda to back off from the row that has split the Los Angeles community.

However, Orombi said the American Episcopal Church's support to gays had betrayed the position of the global Anglican community during the Lambeth Conference in 1998 when 800 bishops voted against the practice of homosexuality.

"We all agreed to keep the traditional view of marriage. Afterwards they went ahead to approve the election of a gay bishop, Gene Robinson," Orombi said.

Asked about financial cooperation between the Church of Uganda and US churches, Orombi said some Orthodox parishes were still willing to provide Uganda help.

"We, however, feel we can look to Uganda to raise enough resources for aid and to do God's work," he added. He said homosexuality, which has become a global controversy, is similar to polygamy, which, though is still practiced, was rejected by the Anglican community. He wondered why the Americans were reluctant to accept the Anglican position on homosexuality.

"Our view is that homosexuality is a moral issue and a sin. The Americans do not see it like that. I was with the President yesterday and he said HIV/Aids is not only a medical problem, but also a moral one. We can defeat homosexuality just like Aids," he added.

Earlier, Bishop Evans Kisekka, who now oversees the US parishes of Newport Beach, Long Beach and North Hollywood, said the American position would be challenged spiritually, even though lawyers for the Los Angeles Bishop gave a deadline this week for the dissident churches to hand over church property.

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