BISHOP KATONEENE FAREWELL: WIFE CALLS ON OPPOSING SHEEMA CHRISTIANS TO REPENT

BY WILBER MUHWEZI

IN BUSHENYI—-

The wife of the retiring Bishop of west Ankole diocese Canon Mama Elivaida Nshemeire has called on the Christians in Sheema district who wronged her husband to repent.

“My lord Bishop, this is a day of forgiveness. You should forgive sheema Christians who wronged us but they should also in turn repent” Mama Elivaida told her husband Bishop Katoneene

However, Bishop Katoneene never commented anything about the wife’s message of forgiveness but in an interview with journalists after function, he said he had forgiven Sheema Christians who wronged him.

She made these remarks today Oct 02, 2016 at the end of the church service at Bweranyangi cathedral. The service was meant to bide farewell Bishop Katoneene who has served the diocese for 11 years.

For the last four years Bishop Katoneene has been fighting with Christians in Sheema district. The origin of the conflict was a proposal by Bishop Katoneene to create a branch of a diocesan owned university-Ankole western university to Katungu in Bushenyi district. The Christians in sheema vehemently opposed and hence an ugly conflict that has left wounds that will probably take ten years to heal.

Bishop Katoneene bide farewell today but was unable to handle to a successor because the election of the new Bishop for west Ankole diocese hit a snag because the sheema Christians petitioned the house bishops which was supposed to elect a bishop in june 2016 accusing the establishment at Bweranyangi of using an illegal synod to elect electoral college that forwarded the two nominees; Rev. Can. Twinamasiko and Rev. Can. Amos Turyahabwe. The exercise was cancelled and the exercise will start afresh.

According two correspondences between the archbishop Stanly Ntagali and Bishop katoneene that www.mknewslink.com has, Katonene will hand over office tomorrow, Monday to a representative of Ntagali, Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa of Ankole diocese who will take the pastoral stick to his boss and then he[Ntagali] appoints a caretaker Bishop for west Ankole diocese until a new one is elected in the next six months.

Relatedly, Mitooma district woman member of parliament M/S Jova Kamateeka blasted sheema Christians for fighting bishop katoneene for no good reason.

“The university is not for the people of Sheema only but for the whole diocese of west Ankole. Those that have been fighting you thinking that they can’t be fought too is a lie” Kamateka asserted.

“I thank you bishop Katoneene for standing firm. You are a winner” Kamateka added.

The service was attended by thousands of Christians from four districts of greater Bushenyi but key sheema Christians who have been opposed to Katoneene never attended. Its only Can. David Kabigumira- sheema district chairman who attended.

In an interview with www.mknewslink.com editor, Kabigumira noted that the conflict is far from over. He said that the new synod is illegal too because the chancellor is not fit to hold the office.he is undergoing trial in the anti-corruption court among other problems.

“They faulted procedures while forming the synod and for that matter we have already gone to court over the same matter. Katoneene has gone but he has left problems to the diocese and for us we shall fight on” Kabigumira said.

“Take an example, Bishop Katoneene today awarded a title of  cannon to five Reverends which is illegal. He has a letter from archbishop stopping him following the amendment of the provincial constitution by the provincial assembly in August 2016. We connot accept this impunity” Can Kabigumira added.

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