Africa-Press – Uganda. President Museveni enters his 40th year in power in eight months. He has witnessed the papacy of four popes—each shaping global history and impacting the Catholic Church in Uganda.
Throughout his tenure, Museveni has met with two of these pontiffs personally and had his envoy meet another. And the fourth is upon him.
Uganda wrote a golden page in history when Pope Paul VI became the first Roman Catholic Pontiff to go out of the Vatican gates on a foreign trip to Africa and more particularly to Uganda on July 31 – August 2.
He canonised the Uganda Martyrs on October 18, 1964.
Archbishop Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga (later a cardinal), Uganda’s first Metropolitan Archbishop of Kampala, invited Pope Paul VI in 1967, when he had a private audience with him in Rome.
1. Pope John Paul II’s Visit in 1993
The first papal visit to Uganda occurred in February 1993 when Pope John Paul II visited during the early years of Museveni’s presidency.
The pontiff arrived in Uganda on February 5, 1993, to a warm welcome from President Museveni and his government.
During his five-day visit, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in several parts of the country, including Soroti, Kasese, and Kampala.
One of the most memorable events was his visit to the Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine in Namugongo, where he honoured the 45 martyrs who were executed for their Christian faith in the 19th century.
This visit solidified Uganda’s strong Catholic identity and its relationship with the Vatican.
2. Pope Benedict XVI’s Virtual Encounter
Pope Benedict XVI did not visit Uganda during his papacy from 2005 to 2013. However, Uganda’s relationship with the Vatican continued through diplomatic channels.
On December 17, 2009, Uganda’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Canon Francis Butagira, met with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican.
During this meeting, Pope Benedict commended Uganda’s commitment to religious freedom and praised the nation’s relationship with the Catholic Church.
While Benedict’s papacy did not bring a visit to Uganda, the encounter underscored the diplomatic and spiritual ties that remained strong between Uganda and the Vatican during his time as pope.
3. Pope Francis’s Landmark Visit in 2015
Pope Francis made a historic visit to Uganda from November 27 to 29, 2015, during his first apostolic journey to Africa.
This visit marked the second papal trip to Uganda under Museveni’s rule. The pope was warmly welcomed by President Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni at Entebbe International Airport, where he began his three-day visit.
Pope Francis’s visit was filled with spiritual events, including a Mass at the Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine in Namugongo, which attracted an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people.
During this visit, Pope Francis addressed the youth in Kampala, offering words of encouragement on issues such as poverty, injustice, and the need for unity in Uganda.
His visit was widely celebrated, further strengthening Uganda’s ties with the Vatican.
4. Pope Leo XIV’s New Era for the Catholic Church
In May 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He became the first American pope in history.
His election was confirmed by the traditional white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, and the Catholic world celebrated the appointment of the new pontiff.
Pope Leo XIV’s papacy marks a new chapter for the Catholic Church, and while Museveni has not yet met with him, the relationship between Uganda and the Vatican continues to evolve under his leadership.
Pope Leo XIV is expected to emphasize peace, inclusivity, and dialogue, echoing themes that have been central to Pope Francis’s papacy.
With Uganda and the Vatican increasingly knitting their relationship, any chance that Pope Leo XIV could make the Pearl of Africa his place of interest?
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