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The beatification ceremony of Pope Paul VI is scheduled to take place on October 19th, 2014, at the conclusion of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the family. The vigil to this celebration, that is 18thOctober, marks exactly 50 years since Pope Paul VI canonized the 22 Catholic Uganda Martyrs. It was on 18 October 1964 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, when Pope Paul VI officially declared the Uganda Martyrs Saints.
Though the martyrs were canonized in October, the main celebrations annually take place on 3rd June which is the Uganda Martyrs Day in the liturgical Calendar. However, according to Fr. Philip Odii, the National Communications Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference, that day (October 18th, the day of canonization) always passes as a low key celebration. “But this year probably it is going to be special because it coincides with the beatification of Pope Paul VI who canonized Ugandan Martyrs 50 years ago.
“Initially the conference had wanted to mark the golden Jubilee celebrations during this year’s Uganda Martyrs day and Pope Francis had been invited as the main celebrant; however, the plans were changed because the Holy Father was not going to be available and so the Golden Jubilee celebrations will have to wait till next year,” Fr. Philip said.
In regards to the beatification ceremony of Pope Paul VI who is very instrumental to the Ugandan people, Fr. Philip said that the conference is yet to decide on what it will do since there is still ample time to make arrangement. “I am sure the conference will certainly send representatives to the beatification ceremony,” he said.
Fr. Mukasa Muwonge, the Father in Charge of the Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo attributed the beatification of Pope Paul VI as the joy of Ugandans for that it was Him who canonized the Uganda Martyrs. “Let the blood of the Martyrs at Namugongo and elsewhere in Uganda continue to become seeds of the growing Christianity in Uganda and beyond,” he said.
Source: AMECEA Social Communications
