Church of Uganda grateful for Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023
Statement by the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, Archbishop of Church of Uganda, in response to the President’s assent to the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.
The Church of Uganda welcomes the diligent work of Parliament and His Excellency, the President, in crafting the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.
We’re grateful the current Act affirms the merits of the existing provisions in the current penal code. We are also grateful that the Act builds on existing laws by offering greater protection of children through strong anti-grooming measures, strong restrictions on promotion, and protection of children by not allowing those convicted under the act to be employed in organizations that work directly with children. We also appreciate that the Act protects people from false allegations.
As expressed in our responses to earlier versions of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill over the last fifteen years, the Church of Uganda supports life and, in principle, does not support the death penalty. As grievous as aggravated defilement and aggravated homosexuality are, we do not support the death penalty for those crimes, and continue to recommend life imprisonment instead.
I also want to remind you of a few things I shared in my Easter message in April. Homosexuality is currently a challenge in Uganda because it is being forced on us by outside, foreign actors against our will, against our culture, and against our religious beliefs. They disguise themselves as “human rights activists,” but are corrupting real human rights by adding LGBTQ to their agenda.
LGBTQ relationships should not be promoted in school curricula, in cartoons, in so-called “human rights workshops,” or any other forum as normative. There is no moral equivalence between LGBTQ relationships (which cannot procreate) and lifelong, heterosexual, monogamous marriage. The Bible teaches, and scientific studies have shown, that children flourish when they are raised by both their mother and father, and with the presence, involvement, and support of their extended family. This is the African way; this is the Biblical way; and this is the way shown to us through natural law.
At the same time, we must recognize we also have major challenges in our families and communities with heterosexual immorality. Fornication, defilement, and adultery are also attacking our families, our souls, and our country. Many of the people loudly protesting against homosexuality are quietly fornicating or betraying their spouse through Gender-Based Violence, adultery, or defiling their own children.
The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 is good and we are grateful to the President for assenting to it. But, it will not solve all of our problems. We must also examine our own hearts and repent of sexual greed.
