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Masaka Bishop Jjumba decries shortage of sign language priests
Masaka Diocesan Bishop Serverus Jjumba poses for a photo with children with disabilities on April 22, 2023 in Masaka City. PHOTO/ANTONIO KALYANGO
What you need to know:
- Bishop Jjumba rallied parents to children with disabilities to accord them equal treatment like other youngsters by providing all basic needs for their holistic development.
The Masaka Diocesan Bishop Serverus Jjumba has expressed need to equip more priests with sign language skills to ease administration of sacraments and evangelization among people with hearing and speaking impairments.
According to Bishop Jjumba, the diocese which is made up of 64 parishes has only three priests skilled in sign language out of the 302 currently serving in the diocese.
“It’s impossible for priests unversed with this language to administer sacraments like penance, matrimony and holy Eucharist when approached,” Bishop Jjumba observed during the commemoration of Persons with Disabilities Day in Masaka Diocese at Divine Mercy Parish Kyabakuza in Masaka City on Saturday.
He also asked the government to consider investing in the construction of secondary schools for children with special needs so that they also fully enjoy the right to education.
“Greater Masaka sub region has nine districts, unfortunately there is no single secondary school for learners with special needs, we have some few primary schools, but after Primary Seven the journey ends there, we advocate for this because we pay taxes and we need services,” he added.
Bishop Jjumba rallied parents to children with disabilities to accord them equal treatment like other youngsters by providing all basic needs for their holistic development.
According to Joseph Walugembe, an activist of disability-inclusive development and a Projects Coordinator at Stromme Foundation, there are various structural limitations against persons with disabilities in Catholic Church which should be waived to allow them exercise their unique potentials in serving the faith.
“Unlike in the past, the advancement in technology for instance braille slates, white canes, text-screen readers for the visually impaired and other advanced gadgets has drastically removed the barriers that would deter our competence in performing many tasks” he said.
According to the Canon law, rule (canon) 959 about the sacrament of penance, the faithful must confess their sins to a legitimate minister, which attest that language barrier deters impaired faithful from receiving sacraments with an element of interaction.
Masaka Diocese ,which has 64 parishes and 15 deaneries covers the districts of Masaka, Ssembabule, Kalungu, Lwengo, Kalangala, Bukomansimbi, Rakai, Kyotera, Lyantonde.
