O clérigo de Uganda está, de acordo com o Daily Monitor de Uganda, entre os quatro candidatos que disputam a cadeira parlamentar de Gulu Leste nas eleições gerais de 2021. “Como pastor do povo da Arquidiocese de Gulu, tenho o doloroso dever de comunicar a vocês que, no dia 23 de setembro de 2020, tive que emitir um decreto de suspensão‘ a divinis ’para nosso irmão, Rev. Pe. Charles Onen ”, diz o arcebispo Odama em sua declaração de 5 de outubro. O arcebispo acrescenta:“ Pe. Carlos não tem mais permissão para exercer seu ministério sacerdotal. Especificamente, ele está proibido de exercer todos os atos do poder de ordem, todos os atos do poder de governo e qualquer direito ou função inerente a qualquer cargo diocesano ”.
“Tentei muito dissuadi-lo de dar esse passo e disse-lhe que a Lei da Igreja não permite que um sacerdote se envolva na política ativa e que um sacerdote que o faça seria suspenso”, explica Dom Odama, referenciando suas discussões com pe. Charles por um período de três meses. Segundo o arcebispo de Uganda, 73 anos, pe. Charles decidiu ignorar a cautela “e fez escolhas contrárias à natureza e aos requisitos de seu status sacerdotal e da Lei da Igreja”.
“Eventualmente, por causa do escândalo público causado por este crime grave, um processo canônico formal de advertências foi iniciado”, disse o Ordinário Local da Arquidiocese de Gulu em sua carta de 5 de outubro obtida pela ACI África e disponibilizada para RECOWACERAO EWS AGENCY, RECONA . Ele emitiu a primeira e a segunda cartas de advertências canônicas, pedindo ao pe. Carlos deve desistir do “envolvimento ativo na política e reformar sua vida de acordo com sua vocação sacerdotal” em 21 de agosto e 7 de setembro, respectivamente.
“Desde que o tempo prescrito pelo Direito Canônico para responder às advertências e para recorrer contra o decreto de suspensão expirou abundantemente e nenhuma resposta escrita ou reação do pe. Charles ainda me alcançou, eu não tinha alternativa senão obedecer à Lei da Igreja ”, escreve o Arcebispo Odama. A Lei da Igreja, explica o Arcebispo, “pede aos pastores que experimentem medidas disciplinares como a suspensão do exercício do ministério sacramental como último recurso e tentem corrigir aqueles que se extraviam para fazê-los refletir, se arrepender e reformar suas vidas”.
Na carta intitulada “Comunicação sobre a suspensão do Rev. Pe. Charles Onen ”e dirigido aos sacerdotes dentro da sua jurisdição pastoral, o Prelado de Uganda pede orações para que pe. Charles “reflita, arrependa-se e reforma-se”.
«Peço agora a todos vós, e a todos os fiéis da vossa paróquia, a quem informais devidamente com discrição e prudência, que rezem pelo nosso irmão pe. Charles Onen para que o Senhor o ajude a refletir sobre sua situação, arrepender-se e reformar sua vida de acordo com os dons e exigências de nossa comum vocação sacerdotal ”, diz Dom Odama.
Ao decidir aderir à política ativa, pe. Charles se junta a seu compatriota, Pe. Simon Lokodo, que foi suspenso em outubro de 2006, quando disputou com sucesso a cadeira parlamentar do condado de Dodoth em Karamoja. O presidente de Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, nomeou-o ministro da Indústria. Fr. Jacinto Ogwal, da Diocese de Lira em Uganda, foi suspenso em 2011 depois de manifestar interesse em disputar a cadeira parlamentar de Otuke.
Na vizinha Tanzânia, o Bispo da Diocese de Bukoba suspendeu pe. Ildephonce Katundu depois de anunciar sua intenção de disputar a Assembleia Constituinte de Nkenge.
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Le correspondant officiel de RECOWACERAO NEWS AGENCY, basé à Kampala, a publié un article dans la presse selon lequel un membre du clergé de l’archidiocèse de Gulu en Ouganda a été suspendu de l’exercice de son ministère sacerdotal suite à sa décision de rejoindre la politique active même après que son Ordinaire local ait tenté beaucoup pour le dissuader de faire une telle démarche. Dans la lettre annonçant la suspension, l’archevêque Jean-Baptiste Odama fait part de ses efforts pour expliquer au P. Charles Onen les conséquences de sa décision de s’engager dans une politique active.
Le religieux ougandais est, selon le Daily Monitor ougandais, parmi quatre candidats en lice pour le siège parlementaire de Gulu-Est aux élections générales de 2021. «En tant que berger du peuple de l’archidiocèse de Gulu, j’ai le douloureux devoir de vous communiquer que, le 23 septembre 2020, j’ai dû émettre un décret de suspension‘ a divinis ’pour notre frère, le Rév. Charles Onen », déclare Mgr Odama dans sa déclaration du 5 octobre. L’archevêque ajoute:« Le P. Charles n’est plus autorisé à exercer son ministère sacerdotal. Plus précisément, il lui est interdit d’exercer tous les actes du pouvoir d’ordre, tous les actes du pouvoir de gouvernement et tout droit ou fonction attaché à toute fonction diocésaine. »
«J’ai beaucoup essayé de le dissuader de faire une telle démarche et je lui ai dit que la loi de l’Église ne permet pas à un prêtre d’être impliqué dans la politique active et qu’un prêtre qui le ferait serait suspendu», explique Mgr Odama, faisant référence à ses discussions avec le P. Charles sur une période de trois mois. Selon l’archevêque ougandais de 73 ans, le P. Charles a décidé de négliger la mise en garde «et est allé faire des choix contraires à la nature et aux exigences de son statut sacerdotal et de la loi de l’Église».
«Finalement, en raison du scandale public causé par cette grave infraction, un processus canonique formel d’avertissements a été lancé», déclare en outre l’Ordinaire local de l’archidiocèse de Gulu dans sa lettre du 5 octobre obtenue par ACI Africa et mise à la disposition de RECOWACERAO EWS AGENCY, RECONA . Il a publié les première et deuxième lettres d’avertissements canoniques, demandant au P. Charles à renoncer à «s’engager activement dans la politique et à réformer sa vie selon sa vocation sacerdotale» les 21 août et 7 septembre respectivement.
«Depuis que le délai prescrit par le droit canonique pour répondre aux avertissements et pour avoir recours contre le décret de suspension a abondamment expiré et aucune réponse ou réaction écrite du P. Charles m’a encore atteint, je n’avais plus d’autre alternative que d’obéir à la loi de l’Église », écrit Mgr Odama. La loi de l’Église, explique l’archevêque, «demande aux pasteurs d’essayer des mesures disciplinaires comme la suspension de l’exercice du ministère sacramentel en dernier recours et d’essayer de corriger ceux qui s’égarent afin de les faire réfléchir, se repentir et réformer leur vie.
Dans la lettre intitulée «Communication sur la suspension du Rév. Charles Onen »et adressé aux prêtres de sa juridiction pastorale, le prélat ougandais demande des prières visant à recevoir le P. Charles «réfléchit, se repent et se réforme».
«Je vous demande maintenant à vous tous, ainsi qu’à tous les fidèles de votre paroisse que vous informerez dûment avec discrétion et prudence, de prier pour notre frère le P. Charles Onen pour que le Seigneur l’aide à réfléchir à sa situation, à se repentir et à réformer sa vie selon les dons et les exigences de notre vocation sacerdotale commune », dit Mgr Odama.
En décidant de rejoindre la politique active, le P. Charles rejoint son compatriote, le P. Simon Lokodo qui a été suspendu en octobre 2006 après avoir été candidat au siège du parlement du comté de Dodoth à Karamoja. Le président ougandais Yoweri Museveni l’a nommé ministre de l’industrie. Fr. Jacinto Ogwal, du diocèse ougandais de Lira, a été suspendu en 2011 après avoir exprimé son intérêt à briguer le siège parlementaire d’Otuke.
En Tanzanie voisine, l’évêque du diocèse de Bukoba a suspendu le P. Ildephonce Katundu après avoir annoncé son intention de se battre pour l’Assemblée de circonscription de Nkenge.
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The official Correspondent of RECOWACERAO NEWS AGENCY, based in Kampala has filed in the news which said that a member of the Clergy of Uganda’s Gulu Archdiocese has been suspended from exercising his priestly ministry following his decision to join active politics even after his Local Ordinary “tried very much to dissuade him from taking such a step.” In the letter announcing the suspension, Archbishop John Baptist Odama makes known his efforts to explain to Fr. Charles Onen the consequences of his decision to engage in active politics.
The Ugandan cleric is, according to Uganda’s Daily Monitor, among four candidates contesting for the Gulu East parliamentary seat in the 2021 general elections. “As a shepherd of the people of Gulu Archdiocese, I have the painful duty of communicating to you that, on 23rd September 2020, I had to issue a decree of suspension ‘a divinis’ for our brother, Rev. Fr. Charles Onen,” Archbishop Odama says in his statement dated October 5. The Archbishop adds, “Fr. Charles is no longer allowed to exercise his priestly ministry. Specifically, he is forbidden to exercise all the acts of the power of order, all the acts of the power of governance and any right or function attached to any diocesan office.”
“I tried very much to dissuade him from taking such a step and I told him that the Law of the Church does not permit a Priest to be involved in active politics and that a Priest who does so would be suspended,” Archbishop Odama explains, referencing his discussions with Fr. Charles over a period of three months. According to the 73-year-old Ugandan Archbishop, Fr. Charles decided to overlook the caution “and went making choices contrary to the nature and requirements of his priestly status and the Law of the Church.”
“Eventually, because of the public scandal caused by this serious offense, a formal canonical process of warnings was started,” the Local Ordinary of Gulu Archdiocese further says in his October 5 letter obtained by ACI Africa and made available to RECOWACERAO EWS AGENCY, RECONA. He issued the first and second letters of canonical warnings, asking Fr. Charles to desist from “active involvement in politics and reform his life according to his priestly vocation” on August 21 and September 7 respectively.
“Since the time prescribed by Canon Law to answer the warnings and to have recourse against the decree of suspension has abundantly expired and no written answer or reaction from Fr. Charles has yet reached me, I had no alternative left than to obey the Law of the Church,” Archbishop Odama writes. The Law of the Church, the Archbishop explains, “asks pastors to try disciplinary measures like the suspension from exercising sacramental ministry as a last resort and attempt to correct those who go astray in order to make them reflect, repent and reform their lives.”
In the letter titled “Communication About the Suspension of Rev. Fr. Charles Onen” and addressed to Priests within his pastoral jurisdiction, the Ugandan Prelate asks for prayers aimed at having Fr. Charles “reflect, repent and reform.”
“I now ask all of you, and all the faithful of your parish whom you will duly inform with discretion and prudence, to pray for our brother Fr. Charles Onen that the Lord may help him to reflect on his situation, repent and reform his life according to the gifts and demands of our common priestly vocation,” Archbishop Odama says.
In deciding to join active politics, Fr. Charles joins his compatriot, Fr. Simon Lokodo who was suspended in October 2006 when he successfully contested for the parliamentary seat of Dodoth county in Karamoja. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni appointed him minister for industry. Fr. Jacinto Ogwal of Uganda’s Lira Diocese was suspended in 2011after he expressed interest in vying for the parliamentary seat of Otuke.
In neighboring Tanzania, the Bishop of Bukoba Diocese suspended Fr. Ildephonce Katundu after he announced his intention to vie for the Nkenge Constituency Assembly.
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