Archbishop Bakyenga Announces Retirement

By Micheal Atwakiire

  Bushenyi: Mbarara archdiocese Archbishop Paul Kamuza Bakyenga has finally announced his retirement, at the age of 75 years.

Archbishop Bakyenga revealed this while preaching to the congregation at St Peter’s Catholic Church, Kitabi parish, in Bushenyi district, on Saturday  June 29^th,  2019 at the centenary celebrations of Kitabi parish, where three deacons were ordained as priests. Rt. Rev. Fr. Bakyenga said that he has already written an official letter to the Pope requesting for retirement.  “According to Catholic faith and laws, we believe that when either a Bishop or Archbishop reaches 75 years of age, he should retire through writing to the Pope. Tomorrow on Sunday   June 30^th,  2019 , I’m clocking 75 years of age and by the time I’m telling you these words, I have already written to our beloved Pope Rt. Rev. Fr. Pope Francis 1^st,  asking him to accept that I retire, although he hasn’t replied yet. But I dearly hope that he is about to reply my request. ” Archbishop Bakyenga told the congregation. Bakyenga asked Christians, especially priests whom he wronged, to forgive him and start praying for him.

“For the 30 years I have spent serving as the Bishop, I have got so many temptations but with God’s help I won them all. For those I have hurt, especially my lovely priests, I request you to forgive me. I ask the new priests to help me by praying for me such that the old priests can forgive me and we live in a happy world ” Bakyenga added. Bakyenga was born on  June 30^th, 1944 in Kitabi parish and later his parents late Kamuza migrated to Ngoma cell, Mushanga parish and now Rwengando Parish in Sheema district. He was ordained as  the fourth priest in Kitabi parish on  July 11^th, 1971 and later after 18 years, in 1989, he was ordained Archbishop of Mbarara archdiocese, which covers over 20 districts in western Uganda. A few years back, Rev. Fr.  Lambert Bainomugisha was ordained Bishop of Mbarara diocese and is now serving as Bakyenga’s defacto deputy. Many Catholics in Mbarara Archdiocese  anticipate he  may succeed Bakyenga.