Africa-Press – Uganda. The Vicar General of Kabale Catholic Diocese, Monsignor Dr. John Vianney Sunday, has cautioned Christians against turning the Church into a marketplace, criticizing the growing misuse of mobile phones and commercialization of spiritual activities during Mass.
Delivering his homily during the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAF) celebration at Our Lady of Good Shepherd Rushoroza Cathedral in Kabale Municipality on Sunday, Sunday emphasized the need for reverence, purity, and focus during worship.
“The Church of God should not be a place for business. Many of us fail to value the sacrifice of the Mass and misuse the sacred time that should be dedicated to prayer,” he said.
The cleric expressed concern over what he termed a “loss of sacredness” among some faithful, noting that the increasing tendency to take selfies and engage in unnecessary phone use during worship disrespects the presence of God and distracts others from prayer.
Sunday urged Christians to treat the house of God with the utmost respect and approach worship with a spirit of humility and devotion.
“Our lives are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we live in sin, we become like muddy water that stains others. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse and heal us because God is the ultimate healer,” he said.
He further reminded Christians of their moral and spiritual duty to support the Church’s mission of evangelization and charity. He underscored that the Church exists to serve and uplift the poor, calling upon believers to contribute generously to its work and to the welfare of its ministers.
“The Church is not just a building; it is a congregation of believers who gather for spiritual nourishment, to listen to the Word of God, and to strengthen one another in faith,” he noted.
Sunday also warned against commercializing spiritual gifts or turning acts of faith into monetary transactions, stressing that the essence of Christian life lies in purity of heart and service to others.
Meanwhile, the Parish Priest of Rushoroza Cathedral Parish, Rev. Fr. Christmas Austin, announced that this year’s Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund had been decentralized to the parish level to encourage broader participation.
Rushoroza Parish dedicated its collections toward installing terrazzo flooring in the Cathedral — a project estimated to cost Shs 129 million. By the end of the event, the parish had raised a total of Shs 137,789,800 in cash and pledges, in addition to 100 bags of cement, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing Cathedral renovation effort.
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