The importance of the Priesthood is “the doctrine that we uphold”, Archbishop Ssemogerere said, and recalled the words of St. Maximilian Kolbe, ‘If there would be any reason for an angel to envy a human being, it would be the powers given to Priests. Because the powers given to Priests are not given to angels.’”
“Of course, angels should not be jealous because jealousy is a sin. However, if ever they were to be envious, it would only be because Priests have been given powers not given to angels,” he said in his May 17 homily during Mons. Kalumba’s Priestly Golden Jubilee.
Archbishop Ssemogerere, who has been at the helm of the Kampala Metropolitan See since his installation in January 2022 underscored the important place of the Priesthood for individual Priests, noting that the “doors of heaven can close” on a Priest “if he fails.”
“Ordination to the Priesthood is a great responsibility,” he said, and went on to laud Mons. Kalumba “for the many responsibilities and duties he has faithfully carried out for Mother Church as a Priest and as an administrator in the capacity of Vicar General in the Archdiocese.”
He said, “I am sure he has done his best to serve the Lord well, and I know he will continue to do so. He is a model to many Priests, of course, a light for many of the faithful.”
Describing his Vicar General as a “genuine steward of God’s property,” Archbishop Ssemogerere added, “I’m proud that you succeeded me some years back, and you have done better than I did.”
The Ugandan Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in August 2008 as Bishop of Uganda’s Kasana-Luweero Diocese acknowledged with appreciation Mons. Kalumba’s diligence and “love for the ministry”.
Mons. Kalumba, he said, “has fulfilled all these duties diligently and with a heart full of love for the ministry. He has given his all, always doing his best. He has used the temporal goods of the Church responsibly and has overseen the completion of many projects, including this current Church of Christ the King.”
Archbishop Ssemogerere congratulated his Vicar General for celebrating his 50th year of service in the vineyard of the Lord as a Priest during the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, which the late Pope Francis officially launched on the Eve of Christmas 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
“He is blessed because he has celebrated this Jubilee Year during the Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Francis. It is a year of happiness, a year of forgiveness, and a year of renewal, a year of pursuing righteousness, devotion, faith, love, and gentleness,” he said during the Golden Jubilee of Priesthood celebration of Mons. Kalumba, his Vicar General.
