Following a consultative Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting held on 22nd – 24th January, 2020 at Ngetta Catechetical Pastoral Center, attended by representatives of the people of God in Lira Diocese; a prayerful reflection was done on certain pastoral issues which required revision.

As the Ordinary Bishop of Lira, entrusted with the pastoral care of the people of God, with the cooperation of the priests, religious and laity (can. 369), and having the duty to defend the unity of the Church and foster ecclesiastical discipline especially concerning the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals, the worship of God, and the administration of goods (can. 392 § 2); I have considered some of the propositions made by the pastoral council for review, leaving others for further research and study.

In the recent past, we have witnessed lots of variance in pastoral approaches and administrative systems in our parishes which seem to portray a lack of uniformity and confusion as regards the celebration of sacraments and sacramentals.

Also, aware of the new pastoral challenges faced by the Church in the light of the new evangelization, for instance, particularly in our situation; the high levels of poverty and other financial or economic related difficulties, diseases, post war trauma, low levels of education, insufficient catechesis, influence of other religious sects and cultural interactions etc. It is evident that, these and other similar issues call for an eminent diocesan synod (cann. 460-468).

In regard to these various challenges that the Church has to encounter in the modern world, there is need to develop a deeper, effective, and practical catechesis within the Christian communities so that the significance of the Good news of salvation won by Jesus Christ becomes an experience of every person. This message of salvation must be holistic, addressing all aspects of the human person, with a special attention to the social teachings of the Church.

As discussed in the diocesan pastoral meeting some areas that need a careful emphasis and deeper catechesis include the following:

a. The promotion of Christian unity and economic empowerment through the establishment of the cooperative society based on Christian values. This is aimed at addressing the hard economic challenges experienced by all Christians. The economic empowerment will build self-reliant, self-supporting Christian communities that will be able to participate fully in the evangelization of the Church. We recognized that many pastoral agents striving selflessly to carry out the mission of the Church, through preaching the word of God, administration of sacraments and sacramentals are sometimes prevented by the hard economic situations.

b. Related to the above, we realized that there is a lack of clarity about the determination of the fees and offerings on the occasion of the administration of sacraments and sacramentals (can. 1264, 2˚). The terms used with regard to these fees must be properly understood and explained to the Christian communities, which are:

ii) Instruction fees: This refers to a set amount of money charged to facilitate the animators such as the Clergy, catechists or other lay persons who participate in preparing candidates for the reception of various sacraments according to particular situations.
iii) Offertory collections: This refers to anything in kind or monetary terms given out of the free will of any Christian during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist or any liturgical celebration in the Christian communities.
iv) Decima (tithe): Refers to what is commonly known as one tenth of each and everything the Lord has enabled one to acquire monthly, seasonally or annually. This is computed in conscience and given for the support of the Church’s mission. This Christian obligation has its biblical roots from Malachi 3:8-10 “Can a human being cheat God? Yet you try to cheat me! How do you try to cheat me over tithes and contributions? No, I, Yahweh, do not change; and you have not ceased to be children of Jacob! Bring the tithes in full to the treasury, so that there is food in my house; put me to the test now like this, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and see If I do not open the flood gates of heaven for you and pour out an abundant blessing for you.” The offertory is differentiated from tithe (decimal) in that, it is not calculated, but given according to the disposition of the Christian faithful at the celebration of Holy Mass or any liturgical celebration.

Sacraments and sacramentals are the ordinary means of receiving grace. As actions of Christ and the Church, they are signs and means by which faith is expressed and strengthened, worship is offered to God, and our sanctification is brought about (can. 840). The grace of God and love is poured upon us through the sacraments and the gifts of grace, of a precious value that cannot be paid for with any amount of money! This is affirmed in the teaching of the Apostle Peter, “for you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like silver or gold, but in the precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ” 1 Peter 1: 18-19.

Therefore, these fees must not be interpreted as a way of buying and selling spiritual goods, especially, the word of God and sacraments (can. 213). Such interpretation is contrary to the will of Christ and the mission of the Church. The Christian faithful have the right to receive these goods from their pastors even in situations that they are unable to pay for the fees, particularly the poor (can. 848). These fees are the proper means established through which the Christian faithful fulfill their obligation to provide for the needs of the Church, so that the Church has available to it those things which are necessary for divine worship, for works of apostolate and of charity and for the worthy support of its ministers (can. 222 §2).

c. Mass offerings and intentions (especially during funerals)
Mass offerings can be understood as gifts to the Church or its ministers on behalf of some intentions. Considering our state in the mission territories, the priests are mostly dependent on Mass offerings for their sustenance. It is earnestly recommended to priests that they celebrate Mass for the intention of the Christian faithful, especially the needy; even if they have not received an offering (can. 945 §2). The Christian faithful need to be gradually instructed to support the ministers by other means as well.

A special attention must be drawn to the offertory collections made during funeral Masses. It has always been the custom of the Church that all offertory collections made at any celebration of the Mass are considered offerings made to the Church, including funeral Masses. The practice of giving such offerings as a gift to the bereaved family is abrogated. Instead, there should be condolence collections directed to one family member, either before or after the funeral Mass respectfully and faithfully. I exhort the pastors to explain in their catechesis this issue to the Christian faithful, especially the bereaved family beforehand.

d. The Celebration of Marriages
Marriage is a covenant, by which a man and a woman established between themselves a partnership of their whole life, and which of its very nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children. Among the baptized it has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament (can. 1055). The pastors have a duty to ensure that the Christian faithful are duly prepared for this sacrament, through their preaching, catechetical instructions adapted to all groups of persons. The spouses too have the obligation to ensure that they prepare well for the new state of life in holiness. This preparation must be remote, proximate and immediate; the couples must be given the pastoral help they need to protect the conjugal covenant (can. 1063).
The pastors have the duty to ensure that there are no abuses in the celebration of sacraments. With regard to preparation for marriages, the custom of bathing, smearing and covering of the couples with bed sheets during their retreat (ot ogole) is abrogated with immediate effect since it is unethical, non-Christian and unnecessary. The approved custom of anointing during the wedding ceremony is limited to only the two witnesses and the main celebrant only, for purposes of liturgical decorum. These will represent the whole community in prayer to administer the signs.

Therefore, in fulfilling my responsibility as the diocesan bishop, to foster various forms of the apostolate and to ensure that throughout the entire diocese all works of the apostolate are coordinated under my direction, with due regard for the character of the apostolate in accordance with can. 394 §1, I decree the following guidelines:

SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION

1. Advent and Christmas season are the proper seasons for our children to receive first Holy Communion. The enrollment is to be done in January, keeping all Saturdays and Sundays for instructions. During the holidays the instructions should take place daily, except on Saturdays and Sundays.
2. Candidates for first Holy Communion should be instructed for a period not less than one year with a more participation of the priests from the first step.
3. The age limit for reception of first Holy Communion is at least seven years, which is the age of reason (can. 97).
4. The godparents at baptism should accompany them from the time of registration; they are to be instructed with their parents for at least four times within the year. The qualifications to be a godparent according to can. 874 §1 must be observed.
5. The catechumens to be admitted for confirmation are to be registered in the first term within two weeks of starting school. They must present their baptismal cards, parents and godparents.
6. Candidates to be enrolled for confirmation must be at least Fourteen years of age. They are to be instructed for at least a year; they are to be instructed with their godparents at least four times within the year.

THE HOLY EUCHARIST

7. The Eucharist, in which Christ the Lord Himself is contained, offered and received, must be celebrated with due reverence and devotion. Through it the Church continually lives and grows. The Eucharistic sacrifice is the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice of the cross is re-enacted and perpetuated through the ages. It signifies and effects the unity of the people of God and brings about the building up of the Body of Christ. Indeed, the other sacraments and all ecclesiastical works of the apostolate are closely connected with the Most Holy Eucharist and ordered to it (can. 897).
8. The obligation of celebrating Mass on Sundays and Holy days of obligation for every baptized catholic should be observed and clearly emphasized during catechesis of the Christian communities.
9. Where it is possible, daily celebrations is highly encouraged.
10. Priests are not to celebrate more Masses than necessary, for pastoral reasons he is to celebrate only two Masses (can. 905 §2). The exceptions provided by the universal law should be observed in this matter.
11. During the celebration of the Holy Mass, celebrant, concelebrants, catechists, religious and seminarians in their cassocks should not be engaged in taking photos, with any modern gargets during the Mass. Only those persons duly assigned, who are properly instructed on the liturgical decorum and decently dressed should carry out this function.
12. All Christian faithful are encouraged to keep time for any liturgical celebration. Priests who may arrive late for Mass are not to concelebrate but attend as any other Christian.

MATRIMONY

13. Marriages (Weddings) should be strictly celebrated on weekdays and not on Sundays, more preferably on Saturdays because of its special nature.
14. The time frame of the celebration is between 8 am to 6pm and never at night.
15. The couples should be instructed for at least one year.
16. Mass weddings and simple wedding ceremonies are highly recommended in order to express the value of the sacramental character of marriage and accessibility for the poor.
17. The unethical, foreign and non-Christian practice of bathing, smearing and covering of the couples with bed sheets during their retreats (ot ogole), should be abolished with immediate effect.
18. The custom of anointing with oil within the rite of marriage has been modified. Only the priest and two other witnesses should administer the ritual sign of anointing.
19. The incantation shall be Christianized as “wan omito mara, kuc, Yotkom kede Nyodo.” This can still be said for old people beyond the child bearing age, since they can still adopt children. A proper catechesis will help to explain this understanding.
20. The parish priests must ensure that the main parish church and churches at the zonal centers should be gazetted for the celebration of marriages as a required by the civil state.

FUNERALS

21. All Mass intentions shall cost at least 10,000 Ugx.
22. The Mass intentions and offerings during the funeral shall be administered in the same way as for all other Masses.
23. The offertory collections during funeral Masses should not be confused with condolence collections. There should always be a family member responsible for the collection of condolence collection outside the liturgical celebrations.

FEES AND OFFERINGS ON THE OCCASION OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF SACRAMENTS AND SACRAMENTALS:

24. The offertory collections during all Masses shall be administered in percentages according to the Diocesan policy established as follows;

Percentages %	Category
30	Parish
30	Catechists
30	Chapel
10	Diocese

25. The minister or those in charge must faithfully safeguard and remit the collection with honesty and Christian charity. The 10% should be sent to the Diocesan treasurer or to the diocesan account with Centenary bank on a monthly basis, not at the end of the year.
26. The finance officers and treasurers must ensure that, there are clear records of accounts at all levels (chapel, parish, and diocese) for purposes of transparency and administration. These recordings in the books and receipts should include, what is received, on what date and for what intentions.
27. I firmly believe that after sensitization and catechesis, the Christian faithful should be able to understand and embrace these new changes in the specific fees as summarized below;

PARTICULARS		At Least
Mass Intentions		10,000/=
Transport Fee		20,000/=
Instruction Fees		5,000/=
Marriage Civil Registration Fees (optional) to be proposed to the couple.		35,000/=
ADMINISTRATION FEES FOR SACRAMENTS
BAPTISM	At least	6,000/=
	Catechumen Registration fee (for the catechist)	1,000/=
	Minister	3,000/=
	Catechist	1,000/=
	Baptismal Ticket	500/=
	Parish registry	500/=
FRIST HOLY COMMUNION	At least	6,000/=
	Registration fee (for the catechist)	1,000/=
	Minister	3,000/=
	Catechist	1,000/=
	Parish registry	1,000/=
CONFIRMATION	At least	6,000/=
	Minister	3,000/=
	Parish	2,000/=
	Catechist	1,000/=
MATRIMONY	At least	15,000/=
	Minister	5,000/=
	Catechist	5,000/=
	Church Marriage certificates	5,000/=

The implementation of these new policies begins after three months of catechesis. I entrust this catechesis to the pastors, beginning with their collaborators the catechists, the parish pastoral council members, movements and associations, leaders of small Christian communities. A proper attention should be given to prevention of abuses, especially with the influence of other churches and ecclesial communities that do not have the celebration of sacraments properly so called in their traditions.

Thank you for your commitment to the service of God’s people. I give you my Episcopal blessings, encouraging and accompanying you, as you go with renewed hearts leading all to the real encounter with the Lord.

May our total dedication to serve God in his people help us to reconcile, share and work together as the chosen people of God to be with Christ in His Church.

Yours Sincerely,

+Wanok Sanctus Lino

Bishop of Lira Diocese

Signed on the 25th day of March, the feast day of Annunciation of the Lord Jesus, the beginning of our 2nd year of our Episcopate.