THE OBSERVER UG

Archbishop Augustine Kasujja during the interview

Archbishop AUGUSTINE KASUJJA, the first African to serve as Papal Nuncio, retired recently after clocking the mandatory 75 years. Having joined the Vatican diplomatic services at just 33 years, he has served four different popes and shares his distinguished life full of twists and turns with Samuel Muhindo.

Born April 26, 1946, to Joseph Naluswa and Catherine Nanseko in Mitala Maria, Mpigi, Kasujja is the fourth child in the family of 13 children. He reminisces a peaceful childhood characterized by a very Christian community.


“We had a very interesting and joyful cordial life while growing up because we were practising Catholics which made me discover the priestly vocation before even entering the primary school. My mother adopted children of her sister after having four children. Always we were a very jolly big group,” he says.

After completing primary school at Sango PS in Mitala Maria in 1959, he joined Kisubi seminary for his secondary education till 1965. He later joined Katigondo Seminary, Masaka in 1966 for philosophy till 1967 when he relocated to the Urban University in Rome, Italy, where he attained a master’s in philosophy.

At the same university, Kasujja pursued another degree in theology within the same period. On January 6, 1973, Kasujja was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI at St Peter’s Basilica. Also among the new priests was the recently- deceased Monsignor John Kalule, the former rector of Ggaba national major seminary.

RETURN TO UGANDA

In August 1974, Kasujja returned to Uganda where he organised his first mass at Mitala Maria parish.

“When I left Uganda in 1967, mass was celebrated in Latin; when I returned, it was in Luganda. I really enjoyed it,” Kasujja recalls. He was posted to Mubende parish where he spent two months before returning to Kampala due a poor health.

AMIN ERA

While an international student in Rome, Kasujja was least surprised when he received news of the overthrow of Milton Obote’s government.

“It was expected because Obote had made declarations that did not please the British. He had proposed that Britain be expelled from the Commonwealth,” he says.

DIPLOMATIC LIFE

In 1975, Kasujja was nominated to join the Pontifical School of Diplomacy in Italy.

“I was also surprise I was chosen but the invitation came from Rome as I had been a student there for seven years. The proposal came from Rome that my name be nominated for diplomatic service,” says Kasujja.

During the study, he did a doctorate in Theology and a master’s in Canon Law from the Lateran University. Afterwards, he was assigned as an attaché to the Vatican embassy in Argentina where he partly served as the chaplain for the House of Sisters that looks after the poor. Kasujja would later go on to serve in different diplomatic positions in Haiti, Portugal and Trinidad & Tobago, among others.

PAPAL NUNCIO

In 1995, Kasujja was sent to Algeria to help in the peace processes after seven brothers of the Catholic Church were assassinated by terrorists forced the sitting papal nuncio to flee.

Kasujja was assigned to the embassy as a Charge d’Affaires, a position he held until May, 1998 when he was appointed as the papal nuncio of the country.

“As Charge d’Affaires, we saw pacification of the country. President Bouteflika’s dialogue with terrorists brought stability to the country,” he says.

“As a diplomat of the church, one has to be qualified in international law. We serve peace and harmony among people from all walks of life. Our relations are to ensure world peace, picking inspiration from the encyclicals that the Pope authors. In international meetings, the church sends its diplomats for pacification and guaranteeing of peace because of its neutrality in conflict.”

Kasujja says one of the challenging roles for a papal nuncio is to help in the appointment of bishops. He says it is a very long process and requires constant consultation.

“For this position, we have to be able to find someone that can manage the projects of the church,” he adds.

He looks back at his time in Algeria as one of the most challenging roles as a papal nuncio because he had to dialogue with the local community for the appointment of a new bishop after the previous one had been assassinated in a bomb attack.

He says the local community told him of the kind of bishop they wanted to replace the deceased who they said was kind and pious to people from all religions.

He says the diversity in nationality of the nuncios is very key because they help in knowing how certain issues in different regions are handled. He says he believes he was also posted to Algeria because he was African and best understood the problems on the continent and the people could see themselves in the persona of the Pope.

“When I went to that town, even the Muslims wanted to tell me what type of Catholic priest they need.”

SPOTLIGHT ON THE CHURCH

Kasujja says the church will never keep silent when there are injustices going on anywhere.

“If there’s no freedom for expression, respect for human rights, the church will always speak and that does not mean that it is politics. People always want to have excuses about the silence of the church. We are defending justice for the people. The church will encourage people to vote for just and honest people so that they are not deceived. If one wants to be a good politician, they should listen to the voice of the church because we have no particular interests as the church is neutral,” he says.

YOUTH AND THE CHURCH

He says the young people are under threat and temptation from several evangelical groups which give hope. He adds that religion should not be a place of problems, but a life.

EUTHANASIA AND ABORTION

He says political decisions cannot be decisions of the people because of the coercion that comes from international community.

“Uganda has refused to accept same-sex marriages because the mentality of their people is not like that. It is always a matter of ‘if you don’t do this, then I shall not make the roads. Is that the freedom of the people of Uganda?” he wonders.

RETIREMENT

In 2016, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic nuncio to Belgium and in his last posting; his roles were extended to Luxembourg. On August 31, 2021, Pope Francis accepted his resignation.

He is currently at home enjoying retirement after 42 years of diplomatic service with 23 years as a papal nuncio at Algeria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Nigeria, among others.

“I shall continue to serve the people according to the programme of the diocese but I also need to rest. I am happy to assist young priests who are in service.”

samuelmhindo@gmail.com

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