Cyprian Kizito Lwanga (19 January 1953 – 3 April 2021) was a

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

n Roman Catholic Prelate who served as Archbishop of Kampala from 2006 to his death. From 1996 to 2006, he served as Bishop of Kasana–Luweero.

Background and education

Lwanga was born on 19 January 1953 at Kyabakadde Village, in Naggalama Parish, in present-day

Mukono District Mukono is one of the districts in the Central Region of Uganda. The town of Mukono is home to the district's main commercial center and district headquarters. Location Mukono District is bordered by Kayunga District to the north, Jinja Distri ...

in the Buganda Region of

, within the Diocese of Lugazi. Lwanga attended Kyabakadde Primary School. He entered Nyenga Seminary in 1964. Between 1972 and 1974, he studied at Katigondo National Major Seminary, in present-day Kalungu District. He then studied

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

at Ggaba National Seminary, in Kampala. In 1979, he joined the

University of Clermont-Ferrand The University of Clermont-Ferrand was officially founded in 1896, by merging of two existing faculties (Literature and Sciences) and a medical school. In 1976, due to political issues, the University split between University Clermont-Ferrand I - ...

in France, where he studied administration and languages, with particular emphasis on administration. Later, he studied at

Pontifical University of the Holy Cross Pontifical University of the Holy Cross ( la, Pontificia Universitas Sanctae Crucis, it, Pontificia Università della Santa Croce) is a Roman Catholic university under the Curial Congregation for Catholic Education, now entrusted to the Prela ...

in Rome, where in 1994, he earned a doctorate in

Canon Law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

Priest

Lwanga was ordained a priest on 8 April 1978 at

Rubaga Cathedral Saint Mary's Cathedral Rubaga, commonly referred to as Rubaga Cathedral, is the parent cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala, the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in Uganda. It is the home church of Archbishop of Kampala. Location T ...

by Cardinal Emmanuel Kiwanuka Nsubuga. He served as a priest of Kampala Archdiocese until 30 November 1996.

Bishop

Lwanga was appointed first bishop of the Diocese of Kasana-Luweero on 30 November 1996 and consecrated

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

on 1 March 1997 at Kasana-Luweero, by Cardinal

Emmanuel Wamala Emmanuel Wamala (born 15 December 1926) is a Ugandan cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and former Archbishop of Kampala from 1990 to 2006. He is currently serving as the Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Ugo, appointed in 1994. Priesthood Wamala ...

, Archbishop of Kampala, assisted by Bishop Joseph Bernard Louis Willigers, Bishop of Jinja and Bishop Paul Lokiru Kalanda, Bishop of Fort Portal. On 19 August 2006, Lwanga was appointed the third Archbishop of the

Archdiocese of Kampala The Archdiocese of Kampala is the Metropolitan See for the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical province of Kampala in Uganda. History The present Kampala Archdiocese is the result of territorial changes: * Victoria Nyanza Vicariate (1883). It was ...

and was installed as the third Archbishop of Kampala on 30 September 2006 at Rubaga Cathedral, succeeding Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala, who resigned. On 2 February 2020, Lwanga issued a decree that Catholics in the archdiocese of Kampala could only receive Holy Communion on the tongue and not on the hand.

Death

In his last public appearance on Good Friday 2 April 2021 during the way of the cross he criticized the violations of human rights in Uganda, fueling rumors of him being poisoned. Lwanga was found dead in his house on 3 April 2021. Before and after the elections of 14 January, Lwanga has repeatedly expressed fear of being killed.

References

External links