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Retired Archbishop Ntagali banned from priestly duties
Retired Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stanley Ntagali who has been banned from carrying out priestly duties following his alleged involvement in an extra-marital affair with a married woman.
Retired Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stanley Ntagali has been banned from carrying out priestly duties following his alleged involvement in an extra-marital affair with a married woman.
It is alleged that the Archbishop emeritus sired a child with a married woman last year.
“…I have informed retired Archbishop Ntagali that he is not permitted to function sacramentally, preach or represent the Church of Uganda in any way until further notice,” said Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, in a January 13 letter to Anglican Bishops under the Global Anglican Future Conference, while announcing the suspension of his predecessor.
Dr Kaziimba said: “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my predecessor, retired Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, has been involved in an extra-marital affair with a married woman, which he has acknowledged. This adultery is a grievous betrayal on many levels. Retired Archbishop Ntagali has betrayed his Lord and Saviour, his wife and their marriage vows, as well as the faith of many Ugandans and global Christians who looked to him to live the faith he proclaimed."
Dr Kaziimba said that his predecessor betrayed the office of Archbishop, his ordination vows, and the moral commitments he championed.
"The Church of Uganda has approximately 13 million members, all of whom have “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” as the Bible says in Romans 3.23. At the same time, the Church holds its leaders more accountable to the same standards we are all called to uphold," he said.
Archbishop Kaziimba said that the Church of Uganda continues to uphold marriage as a lifelong, exclusive union between one man and one woman and that adultery is as immoral as homosexuality and that they will not shy away from their commitment to this moral standard.
He warned that if there are any church structures that have enabled such behaviour to be covered up, they are committed to identifying them and repenting of systems that protect abusers and harm victims.
"No one is above God’s law. We call on all who have fallen short of this standard to go before the Lord in prayer and confess your sin, repent of your ways, and make restitution to those you have hurt," Dr Kaziimba advises.
Bishop Ntagali served as 8th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and handed office to Dr Kaziimba on March 1, 2020 after clocking the retirement age.
While serving as Archbishop, Bishop Ntagali was also the Bishop of Kampala and earlier served as Bishop of Masindi-Kitara Diocese from 2004 to 2012.
Officials at the province have, however, remained silent about the matter.
But the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Foley Beach issued a statement on Monday saying that Bishop Ntagali admitted to having an extra-marital affair.
Archbishop Beach who was the guest preacher at the consecration of Dr Kaziimba last year, is the chairperson of the GAFCON Primates Council.
"… Stanley [Ntagali] is a brother in Christ with whom I have appreciated working beside in years past, and it grieves me profoundly to hear of this moral failure. It is my prayer before the Lord that he will continue down the path of repentance and that the Lord will comfort all those impacted by this sin,” reads part of Beach’s letter.
