“Meddling in Politics will Divide the Church” – Archishop Ntagali Responds to Critics

The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda, the Most Reverend Stanley Ntagali has responded to claims that the church has taken a back seat amid the current political tension saying politics is not the place for religious leaders.

In the wake of the proposal to amend the constitution and remove the Presidential age limits, religious leaders including Archbishop Ntagali were criticized by civil society and the public for not weighing in to give their opinion.

But while delivering his Christmas message on Thursday, Archbishop Ntagali said that the church will not meddle into politics because its role is spiritual. He said that taking political stands threatens the unity of the congregation.

“We are impartial. We should not be looked at as a political party or an opposition group. All our people belong to different political affiliations,” the Archbishop said at a news conference held at the Namirembe Church of Uganda Provincial Secretariat in Kampala.

“The church should not come out to be one sided because then, we shall divide our congregation. Our role is to guide spiritual matters and we are still doing that”.

“I am not a politician. If I begin making political statements, what will the politicians do?” the cleric added.

Archbishop Ntagali is known for his radical stance when it comes to opposing the issue of homosexuality in the Anglican church. Twice, together with a few other African Archbishops, he has snubbed the meeting of Pirates (Anglican Archbishops) in Canterbury in protest of the ordaining of gay bishops and churches wedding gay couples.

Asked by SoftPower News on Thursday why he hasn’t been as vocal on issues of governance, Ntagali responded; “The issue of homosexuality is different from politics because it touches the Bible and contravenes the authority and teaching of Jesus Christ. I was ordained to defend the Faith”.

He however commented on the ongoing debate regarding the Age Limit Bill cautioning political representatives especially Members of Parliament (MPs) against being self centred and taking decisions that could jeopardize the future of Uganda.

“This is a critical moment,” he said. “I want to advise MPs especially the 10th Parliament not to be short sighted but focus ahead in 10, 20, 50 years from now. They should look at Uganda in the distant future and know that they are preparing the country for the youths that are seeing what’s happening”.

Speaking in another capacity as a member of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, Ntagali said that by including age and term limits, the promulgators of the 1995 constitution envisaged risks in peaceful transition of power.

“We think that the current approach through a Private Member’s Bill is retrogressive and that it will leave many Ugandans antagonized,” he added.