As Catholics and members of the general public are continuing to demand the release of Catholic priest, Fr. Ssekabira Deus Dadit.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Masaka, Severus Jumba, has issued a statement demanding the release of his priest.
In the night leading into today, the Bishop of the Diocese of Masaka, Severus Jumba, released a statement concerning the abduction of Fr Deus Ssekabira Dadit.
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In the statement, Bishop Jumba said that armed men kidnapped his priest earlier this month and that up to now, they have no clear information about the exact reasons behind the abduction.
The Bishop explained that the incident has caused deep pain and shock among Catholics and the relatives of Fr Ssekabira, and that all efforts to secure his release have so far failed.
Bishop Jumba also noted that on the 8th of this month, he asked all priests in the Diocese of Masaka to pray for their fellow priest during this very difficult time.
"I asked all preists of Masaka Diocese to do a rosary for our our brother" Bishop Jumba wrote
In the same statement, the Bishop recalled that he wrote this message from Our Lady of Sorrows Cathedral in Kitovu, a place associated with painful memories dating back to July 112, 1976, when Msgr. Clement Mukasa was abducted under similar circumstances and has never been seen again.
The message from Bishop Jumba has spread widely and caused emotional distress among Christians in the Diocese of Masaka, with some believers breaking down and raising their voices in anguish.
"You wonder why and how should someone kidnap a priest, a servant of God who has dedicated his entire life to prayer, service, and guiding the community. A priest does not carry weapons, does not engage in politics, and does not threaten anyone's life or property." Roger Mukasa, a Catholic in Masaka asked
"Fr Ssekabira belongs to everyone, to the poor, the suffering, the young, and the elderly. Kidnapping a priest is not just an attack on one individual, but an attack on the entire Catholic community and on the values of humanity, peace, and respect for life" he added
Even though when a person joins the priesthood, their family offers them fully to the bishop of that diocese in life and in death, and the priest becomes like a child to his bishop, the relatives of Fr Ssekabira are pleading for only one thing, his release, because they say he is innocent.
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"Fr Ssekabira is one of our family members and we strongly believe that he's innocent and should be released with immediate effect, free Fr Ssekabira free him now," a group of Fr Ssekabira's relatives chanted in loud voices
Before being assigned to Bumanji parish in the Ssese Islands where he was serving as Deputy Parish priest Rev. Fr. Ssekabira Deus Dadit previously worked as the Youth Chaplain in the Diocese of Masaka.
