St. Charles Lawanga: a history lesson on the sexual sins of our times

Uganda Martyrs with Bishop Leon Livinhac, 1885
(Charles Lawanga is number 13)

On June the 3rd the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Charles Lawanga and his companions. As it was in the late nineteenth century, today in Uganda there is still persecution of Christians.
In 1880, priests from the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, also known as the White Fathers, went to southern Uganda to evangelize. It was ruled by King Mwanga II. As people converted to the faith, they would in turn evangelize others.

King Mwanga was a violent man and a pedophile. Pederasty was morally wrong then and it's morally wrong today. In fact, in the Didache, the early teaching of the twelve apostles we find this, "You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit pederasty, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, you shall not practice magic, you shall not practice witchcraft, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill one that has been born" (2:2, A.D. 70).  The Christians knew that what the king was doing was sinful and immoral. It clearly contradicted Christian teaching about the person and human sexuality. Mwanga would abuse the young boys and men who served in the court as pages and attendants. Joseph Mkasa, the chief steward confronted the king about his sexual behaviour and for killing a Protestant missionary and his companions.  (more...)

St. Charles Lawanga: a history lesson on the sexual sins of our times