UGANDA CATHOLIC COMMISSION FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
(UCCID)

ACRONYMS

AMECEA ........Association of the Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa
ATR .................African Traditional Religions
IFPI ..................Inter Faith Peace Initiative
INTERPRO .....Inter-religious Dialogue Program
IRCU ...............Inter-Religious Council of Uganda
PCID ...............Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue
PISAI ..............Pontifical Institute for Studies of Arabic and Islamology
UCCID ........... Uganda Catholic Commission for Inter-religious Dialogue
UCS ................Uganda Catholic Secretariat
UEC ................Uganda Episcopal Conference
UJCC ..............Uganda Joint Christian Council

VISION
The Catholic Church in Uganda, at all levels, has the respectful attitude of Christ towards people of other Faiths, and works with them for the good of the whole community.

"Dialogue is the norm and necessary means of every form of Christian mission.... Any sense of mission not permeated by such a dialogical spirit would go against the demands of true humanity and against the teachings of the Gospel".
(Dialogue & Mission. N.29, Vatican Secretariat for Non-Christians [now PCID], 1984).

MISSION
- To provide the Church with a structure of dialogue with non-Christian religions,
- to raise awareness of Catholics and educate them in the true Christian attitude,
- to monitor and co-ordinate activities of Dialogue in the Church.
N.B. Inter-Religious Dialogue is different from Ecumenism:
Ecumenism aims at some form of unification among all followers of Christ, according to the will of Jesus "that they be one".
Inter-Religious Dialogue aims at building up mutual knowledge, trust, eradication of prejudices, in view of a common action to solve common problems. It recognizes the value of the other religious traditions, and adopts the attitude of Jesus towards people stranger to Judaism.

GOALS
- Promote in the Church an attitude of Dialogue with followers of non-Christian religions.
- Co-ordinate activities of dialogue on behalf of the Catholic Church in Uganda.
- Be the mouthpiece of UEC on matters of Inter-religious dialogue.

OBJECTIVES
1) OBJECTIVE ONE: set up a national Commission
2) OBJECTIVE TWO: liaise with interfaith groups
- at national level: UJCC, IRCU, IFPI, INTERPRO,…
- PCID in Rome, AMECEA
3) OBJECTIVE THREE: help set up Diocesan Commissions
4) OBJECTIVE FOUR: encourage Catholics, especially the laity, to involve themselves in activities of dialogue at various levels.
5) OBJECTIVE FIVE: Make statements for UEC on issues of Inter-religious Dialogue.

ACTIVITIES IN 2004-2005.
1) Bishop Robert Muhirwa has been chosen by the UEC as our Chairman. We are grateful to him for accepting the responsibility.

2) The Commission met three times since the last report: 27/04/04; 31/08/04; 02/12/04. The next meeting is scheduled for 07/04/05.
It is composed for the time being of a core group of ten committed people, from around Kampala. The appointed Representative of Kampala Archdiocese is a member.

Here are the present members:

The Rt.Rev. Robert Muhirwa - Chairman
Fr. Henri Valette, M.Afr.- Coordinator ( UCCID)
Fr. Roger Labonte, M.Afr. - Pioneer
Fr. Dominic Mwebe - Member (Specialist of ATR)
Fr. Christopher Kiwanuka - (Ecumenism & IRD Kampala Archdiocese)
Sr. Maria Josaphat, DM - Member.
Mr. Mathew Kibuuka - Member.
Sr. Goretti Kisakye, IHMR - member.
Fr. Richard Nnyombi, M.Afr -. (Specialist of Islam).
Mr. Yiga Richard Mary - Executive Secretary, Editor of "Together"magazine.

3) We have been trying to reflect on African Traditional Religions (ATR). A team was chosen to prepare a paper on the subject for our next meeting.

4) Dialogue activities started at grassroots level, before the UCCID was formed. Some of our members are active in INTERPRO, an interfaith NGO, which meet every month at Makerere, publish a quarterly Magazine called 'TOGETHER", organize Seminars on Interreligious Dialogue in various parts of the country. They took part in some controversial meetings organized by Pentecostals. And the UCCID follows the activities of the Catholic members of INTERPRO.

5) Other groups of Interreligious Dialogue are functioning at Kisubi, and elsewhere, but we have no regular co-ordination with them. Some of them are dormant like the "Interfaith Peace Initiative".

6) We participate occasionally in Interreligious activities organized by the UJCC.

7) The UCCID is the official contact with the PCID in Rome. and welcomed Archbishop Mike Fitzgerald, Chairman of the PCID. Contacts are kept with the Nuncio in Uganda, as also with other Non-Christian Religious leaders.

8) An enquiry about the needs of formation to Christian-Muslim dialogue, sent by PISAI from Tangaza College in Nairobi, was sent to all the Dioceses and a report was sent back to Nairobi.

9) The UCCID worked on a budget proposal, and tried to encourage Dioceses and Parishes to take subscriptions to "Together" Magazine. We need more fund raising for our activities.

N.B. INTERPRO is not a Church Organisation, but its Catholic members are involved in UCCID as they were in setting up the IRCU.
"Together" magazine includes articles from different religious sources for mutual information.

CONSTRAINTS

1) About Interreligious Dialogue
- There is a lot of mistrust and confrontation between religious groups, especially new religious movements, and that undermines the peace of the country.
- There is not always reciprocity in the efforts at dialogue.
- Many Catholics do not feel committed to improve relations with people of other faiths as part of their faith and mission.
- Many initiatives coming from various religious organizations are a duplication of efforts. And Catholics are often absent from these networks.
- The difference between Interreligious dialogue and Ecumenism is not well perceived.
- Dialogue with African Traditional Religions is still in infancy, as the prevailing attitude is to convert the so-called pagans, without considering enough the underlying traditional cultural background which they bring with themselves into the Catholic faith.

2) About the UCCID
- The UCCID is still only a core group. We have contacted several times Bishops and persons met at the occasion of INTERPRO activities up-country. But responses have been limited.
- Dioceses have not appointed their representatives to the Commission, as we asked them by our letters.
- There is lack of co-ordination among Catholic initiatives.
- The Church authorities are limited in the funds they can release for interreligious dialogue.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

1) Implement the strategic planning to reach the objectives mentioned above. But we are delayed in its implementation, mostly because of the difficulties mentioned above.
2) Our priority Number one should be now to visit the Dioceses and have regular appointed contact persons there.
3) Try to see with the Commission for renewing the Seminary Charter, how the issue of interreligious dialogue could be promoted in the Seminary teaching.
4) Be more involved in promoting Dialogue with ATR.
5) Encourage Dioceses, Parishes and other Church Institutions to take a subscription to "Together" magazine.
6) Continue our search for funds and for the establishment of an office at the UCS.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1) that each Diocese appoint one interested representative/contact person for UCCID.
2) That each Diocese/Parish/Church Institution take a subscription to "TOGETHER"
3) That office facilities be made available at UCS.
4) That some Church personnel be lined up for training by PISAI, especially among Seminary staff.