Emmanuel Wamala (born 15 December 1926) is a Ugandan cardinal of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, and former Archbishop of Kampala from 1990 to 2006. He is currently serving as the
Cardinal-Priest
A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...
Wamala was born in Kamaggwa parish of Lwaggulwe Masaka district,
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 ...
. He was ordained, on 21 December 1957, chapel of the Pontifical Collegio Urbaniano, Rome, by Pietro Sigismondi. In the same ceremony Stephen Fumio Hamao, future cardinal, was also ordained. He studied in Rome from 1957 to 1960 and had further studies in Uganda and United States, as well as pastoral ministry in the diocese of Masaka, from 1960 to 1981. He obtained a
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. ...
. During this time he also served as inspector of diocesan schools and faculty member of the Minor Seminary of Bukalasa, chaplain and faculty member, and rector of University of Makerere. He served as
vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...
of diocese of Masaka from 1974 to 1981. He was created
Chaplain of His Holiness
A Chaplain of His Holiness is a priest to whom the Pope has granted this title. They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges with respect to ecclesiastical dress and vestments.cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...
, but has lost the right to participate in any future conclave as a result of passing his eightieth birthday. He was succeeded in Kampala by Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.
Wamala is a Patron of the African Prisons Project, an international non-governmental organisation with a mission to bring dignity and hope to men women and children in African prisons through health, education, justice and reintegration.
On 9 October 2021 Wamala attended the burial in Uganda of Msgr. Henry Kyabukasa, his 92 year old younger brother. Kyabukasa was a former Prelate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masaka and died at Villa-Maria Hospital in Kalungu district on 6 October 2021.
At the installation of the new Archbishop of Kampala Paul Ssemogerere on 25 January 2022, the congregation was informed that Wamala was unable to physically attend the ceremony as he was weak. Wamala's last public appearance was on 21 November 2021, at St Noa Mawaggali Cathedral in the Kiyinda-Mityana diocese, where he marked his 40th episcopal anniversary.