Chancellor Leads New Year Thanksgiving Mass, Calls on Security Forces to Uphold Human Dignity in 2026

By BERNARD BAKALU

Luweero

The Chancellor of Kasana–Luweero Diocese, Rev. Fr. Dr. Emmanuel Ssekyanzi Lyevuze, has appealed to security agencies to uphold human dignity and refrain from inhumane conduct as the country enters the year 2026.

Fr. Lyevuze made the call on Thursday, January 1, 2026, while delivering his homily during the 10:00 a.m. New Year Thanksgiving Mass at Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral. He noted with concern that in recent times, security agencies have increasingly been accused of brutalizing citizens.

At the beginning of his homily, Fr. Lyevuze thanked God for the gift of a New Year, reminding the congregation that “many who were with us last year did not live to see this day.” He observed that some had succumbed to illness, others to road accidents and other unfortunate circumstances, emphasizing that life itself is a priceless gift.

“It is very important to thank God for the gift of life and for all that He continues to provide,” he said. He cautioned against a spirit of ingratitude, urging the faithful not to dwell excessively on what they have not yet received, but rather to appreciate what God has already granted them.

As the New Year begins, Fr. Lyevuze noted that the Catholic Church is calling upon all people of goodwill to pray earnestly for peace—within families, communities, and the nation at large. He expressed concern about the country’s social and political climate, particularly as Uganda approaches a general election period.

“There are worrying reports of citizens being brutalized, teargassed indiscriminately, and in some cases abducted,” he observed. According to Fr. Lyevuze, such actions may point to a lack of interior peace among some members of the security forces. “Without peace of heart, it becomes difficult for anyone to extend peace to others,” he said.

His remarks come in the context of President Yoweri Museveni’s End-of-Year televised address on December 31, 2025, in which the President banned the caning of lawbreakers and rejected the use of corporal punishment. In the same address, however, the President defended the use of teargas as a lawful and non-lethal crowd-control method, while advising the police to issue warnings and allow bystanders time to move away before its deployment.

Turning to family life, Fr. Lyevuze urged Catholics to ensure that their homes remain places of peace rather than conflict. “Do not turn your homes into battlegrounds,” he cautioned, noting that peaceful households are essential in preventing domestic violence. He expressed concern about unresolved anger within families, which he said often escalates into conflict, and called for harmony, forgiveness, and peaceful coexistence in homes throughout 2026.

He commended the faithful who gathered for the New Year Thanksgiving Mass, observing that many people fail to take time to thank God. Stressing the importance of gratitude, he reminded the congregation that numerous people lost their lives in road accidents and other tragedies and never lived to see the New Year.

During the Mass, Fr. Lyevuze led the congregation in a song of thanksgiving, inviting all present to entrust the year ahead to God’s providence.

The congregation joined in the hymn “Halleluya, Come and See What God Has Done,” joyfully singing, “What the Lord has done for me, I cannot tell it all…”

At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration, he conveyed a message from the Kasana Cathedral Administrator and Vicar General of Kasana–Luweero Diocese, Msgr. Vincent De Paul Mukiibi. Fr. Lyevuze said Msgr. Mukiibi expressed gratitude to the faithful for their steadfast support throughout 2025, particularly their contributions to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAFU), ‘Yoyoota Kasana Cathedral’, and other diocesan initiatives.

Special prayers were offered for the sick and the needy, with the faithful asking God for healing, provision, and renewed hope in the year 2026. Fr. Lyevuze concluded by wishing everyone a peaceful and blessed New Year.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Emmanuel Ssekyanzi Lyevuze, the Kasana-Luweero Diocesan Chancellor, greets a member of the faithful, Lawrence Mukwaya, after the New Year Thanksgiving Mass at Kasana Cathedral on Thursday, January 1, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.

 Members of the Church Choir lead the congregation in sacred song during the New Year 2026 Thanksgiving Mass at Kasana Cathedral on Thursday, January 1, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Emmanuel Ssekyanzi Lyevuze administers Holy Communion to a member of the faithful during the New Year Thanksgiving Mass at Kasana Cathedral on Thursday, January 1, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Emmanuel Ssekyanzi Lyevuze poses for a group photograph with religious Sisters and members of the faithful after the New Year Thanksgiving Mass at Kasana Cathedral on Thursday, January 1, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.

 Some members of the faithful gathered in prayer during the New Year Thanksgiving Mass at Kasana Cathedral on Thursday, January 1, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.