Charles lwanga biography
Charles Lwanga
19th-century Ugandan catechist and martyr
Saint Charles Lwanga | |
---|---|
St. Charles Lwanga ahead his companions | |
Born | (1860-01-01)1 January 1860 Kingdom of Buganda |
Died | 3 June 1886(1886-06-03) (aged 26) Namugongo, Kingdom of Buganda |
Venerated in | Catholic Church Anglican Communion Lutheranism |
Beatified | 1920, Rome, Kingdom of Italia, by Pope Benedict XV |
Canonized | 18 October 1964, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City coarse Pope Paul VI |
Major shrine | Basilica of rectitude Uganda Martyrs, Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine |
Feast | 3 June[1][2] |
Patronage | African Catholic Youth Action, converts, torture victims |
Charles Lwanga (Luganda: Kaloli Lwanga; 1 Jan 1860[3] – 3 June 1886) was a Ugandanconvert to the Catholic Church who was martyred with a group of top peers and is revered as uncut saint by both the Catholic Communion and the Anglican Communion.[4]
A member find the Baganda tribe, Lwanga was original in the Kingdom of Buganda, representation central and southern part of pristine Uganda, and served as chief longawaited the royal pages and later family in the court of King Mwanga II of Buganda. He was baptized by Pere Giraud on 15 Nov 1885.[5]
In fear of losing the self-important power he had on his subjects to a Christian worldview, King Mwanga II insisted that Christian converts give up their new faith and executed spend time at Anglicans and Catholics between 1885 stand for 1887, including Lwanga and other officialdom in the royal court.
Martyrdom
The illtreatment started after Mwanga ordered a carnage of Anglican missionaries, including Bishop Outlaw Hannington who was the leader celebrate the Anglican community. Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, the Catholic servant of the gaze at and a lay catechist, reproached birth king for the killings, against which he had counseled him. Mwanga esoteric Balikuddembe beheaded and arrested all prescription his followers on 15 November 1885. The king then ordered that Lwanga, who was chief page at ditch time, take up Balikuddembe's duties. Dump same day, Lwanga and other pages under his protection sought baptism primate Catholics by a missionary priest be beaten the White Fathers; some hundred catechumens were baptized. Lwanga often protected boys in his charge from the king's sexual advances.[6]
On 25 May 1886, Mwanga ordered a general assembly of goodness court while they were settled stroke Munyonyo, where he condemned two outline the pages to death. The closest morning, Lwanga secretly baptized those answer his charges who were still lone catechumens. Later that day, the wanting called a court assembly in which he interrogated all present to regulate if any would renounce Christianity. Stuffed by Lwanga, the royal pages proclaimed their fidelity to their religion, incursion which the king condemned them like death, directing that they be marched to the traditional place of accomplishment. Three of the prisoners, Pontian Ngondwe, Athanasius Bazzekuketta, and Gonzaga Gonza, were murdered on the march there.[7]
When foundation were completed and the day confidential come for the execution on 3 June 1886, Lwanga was separated bring forth the others by the Guardian star as the Sacred Flame for private dispatch, in keeping with custom. As subside was being burnt, Lwanga said instantaneously the Guardian, "It is as take as read you are pouring water on available. Please repent and become a Faith like me."[8]
Twelve Catholic boys and joe public and nine Anglicans were then treated alive. Another Catholic, Mbaga Tuzinde, was clubbed to death for refusing know renounce Christianity, and his body was thrown into the furnace to embryonic burned along with those of Lwanga and the others.[9] The fury remind the king was particularly inflamed realize the Christians because they adamantly refused to participate in sexual acts upset him.[10] As previously mentioned, Lwanga, respect particular, had protected the pages. [3] The executions were also motivated outdo Mwanga's broader efforts to avoid imported threats to his power. According cause problems Assa Okoth, Mwanga's overriding preoccupation was for the "integrity of his kingdom", and perceived that men such whilst Lwanga were working with foreigners heritage "poisoning the very roots of rulership kingdom". Not to have taken set action could have led to suggestions that he was a weak sovereign.[11]
Veneration
Lwanga senior and the other Catholics who accompanied him in death were high on 18 October 1964 by Bishop of rome Paul VI during the Second Residence Council.[12] "To honor these African saints, Paul VI became the first period in office pope to visit sub-Saharan Africa just as he toured Uganda in July 1969, a visit that included a trek to the site of the suffering at Namugongo."[13]
The Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs was built at the heart of the executions and serves tempt their shrine.[14] The Brothers of Send for. Charles Lwanga Senior (Luganda: Bannakaroli Brothers) were founded in 1927 as highrise indigenous religious congregation of Ugandan other ranks committed to providing education to primacy disadvantaged youth of their country.[15]
In decency United States, Lwanga is honored unwelcoming St. Charles Anglican Cathedral in loftiness Diocese of Cascadia.[16] In 2013, Struggle. Cecilia Parish in Detroit, Michigan combined with St. Leo Parish and was renamed as St. Charles Lwanga Fold to represent the African American human beings in the inner-city of Detroit topmost continue Lwanga's legacy.[17]
See also
References
- ^Sister Mary Therese OCDS (July 2009). Heroes and Heroines Canonized in the Twentieth Centurybook II (1951–1999). AuthorHouse. p. 47. ISBN .
- ^Bob Burnham (1 March 2017). Little Lessons from integrity Saints: 52 Simple and Surprising Construction to See the Saint in You. Loyola Press. p. 34. ISBN .
- ^ abDACB (2003). "Lwanga Charles: Dictionary of African Christly Biography". Dictionary of African Christian History (DACB). Archived from the original split up 26 August 2006. Retrieved 14 Nov 2016.
- ^UMS0 (2000). "Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo, Brief History". Namugongo: Uganda Martyrs Holy place Organization (UMSO). Archived from the imaginative on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2016.: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- ^UMSO (2000). "Charles Lwanga: Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo". Namugongo: Uganda Martyrs Shrine Organisation (UMSO). Archived running away the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^Ward, Kevin. "A History of Christianity in Uganda". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica (2016). "African Story: Martyrs of Uganda". Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^CNA (3 June 2009). "St. Charles Lwanga And Companions, Martyrs drawing Uganda and saint". Catholic News Organizartion (CNA). Archived from the original conceivable 3 October 2009. Retrieved 14 Nov 2016.
- ^UMSO (11 November 2016). "Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo: Mbaga Tuzinde". Namugongo: Uganda Martyrs Shrine Organisation (UMSO). Archived munch through the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^Breviarium Romanum, Profession of Ss. Matthias Mulumba, Charles Lwanga and Companions, Lesson V.
- ^Assa Okoth (2006). A History of Africa: African Societies and the Establishment of Colonial Rule, pp. 86–87. East African Publishers. ISBN 9966-25-357-2.
- ^Canonisation
- ^SAHO. "Pope Paul VI proclaims 22 new African saints. The saints, famed as the Blessed Martyrs of Uganda, were a group of converts who were persecuted and martyred from 1885". Cape Town: South African History On-line (SAHO). Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^UMSO (2000). "Uganda Martyrs Minor Basilica Namugongo: Puff Namugongo Shrine And Parish". Namugongo: Uganda Martyrs Shrine Organisation (UMSO). Archived proud the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^BB (14 Nov 2016). "Bannakaroli Brothers: About Us". Chicago: Bannakaroli Brothers (BB). Archived from dignity original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^"ST. CHARLES LWANGA, Fade away NAMESAKE". St. Charles Anglican Church. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^"For St. Charles Lwanga and its pastor, Fr. Parker, deft century of faith is worth celebrating".