The story of the martyrs of Uganda is a perfect example of modern day Christian persecution and it happened during the reign of King Mwanga. The martyrs were led by Charles Lwanga who was a Christian convert, martyred with a group of his peers and is revered as a saint by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.
Charles served as chief of the royal servants and later major-domo in the court of King Mwanga II of Buganda. The persecution started in 1885 after Mwanga, a ritual paedophile, ordered a massacre of Anglican missionaries, including Bishop James Hannington who was the leader of the Anglican community. Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe, the Catholic major-domo of the court and a lay catechist, reproached the king for the killings, against which he had counselled him. Mwanga had Balikuddembe beheaded and arrested all of his followers on 15 November 1885. The king then ordered that Lwanga, who was chief servant at that time, take up Balikuddembe's duties. That same day, Lwanga and other servants under his protection sought baptism as Catholics by a missionary priest of the White Fathers; some hundred catechumens were baptized.
On 25 May 1886, Mwanga ordered a general assembly of the court while they were settled at Munyonyo, where he condemned two of the servants to death. The following morning, Lwanga secretly baptized those of his charges who were still only catechumens. Later that day, the king called a court assembly in which he interrogated all present to see if any would renounce Christianity. Led by Lwanga, the royal servants declared their fidelity to their religion, upon which the king condemned them to death, directing that they be marched to the traditional place of execution. Three of the prisoners, Pontian Ngondwe, Athanasius Bazzekuketta and Gonzaga Gonza, were murdered on the march there.
When preparations were completed and the day had come for the execution on 3 June 1886, Lwanga was separated from the others by the Guardian of the Sacred Flame for private execution, in keeping with custom. As he was being burnt, Lwanga said to the Guardian, "It is as if you are pouring water on me. Please repent and become a Christian like me."
Twelve Catholic boys and men and nine Anglicans were then burnt alive. Another Catholic, Mbaga Tuzinde, was clubbed to death for refusing to renounce Christianity, and his body was thrown into the furnace to be burned along with those of Lwanga and the others. The ire of the king was particularly inflamed against the Christians because they refused to participate in sexual acts with him. Lwanga, in particular, had protected the servants against the advancements of the king.
Charles Lwanga and the other Catholics who accompanied him in death were canonized on 18 October 1964 by Pope Paul VI during the Second Vatican Council. "To honour these African saints, Paul VI became the first reigning pope to visit sub-Saharan Africa when he toured Uganda in July 1969, a visit that included a pilgrimage to the site of the martyrdom at Namugongo."
Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Abidianus
2. Saint Achilleus Kewanuka
3. Saint Joseph Mukasa
4. Saint Kevin
5. Saint John Maria Muzeyi
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