Uganda Martyrs Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Martyrs

Uganda Martyrs Day occurs annually on June 3. This religious holiday has been celebrated by the Ugandan people since 1975 and holds great significance for them.

Uganda Martyrs Day occurs annually on June 3. This religious holiday has been celebrated by the Ugandan people since 1975 and holds great significance for them. It commemorates the valour and sacrifice of 45 Christians who, during a period of intense social and political strife induced by religious tensions, chose execution over renunciation of their faith. In some instances, the Ugandan martyrs are venerated as saints. Despite their tragic demise, the 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts have been and will continue to be a source of inspiration, hope, and national unity for Ugandans.

The background of Uganda Martyrs Day

In the late 1800s, Christian missionaries began trickling into Africa. The initial group consisted of Catholics. Because of the robes they wore, they were known as the White Martyrs, and they travelled by caravan into Central Africa to propagate the gospel. The White Martyrs founded a mission in Uganda in 1879. As it was then known, the kingdom of Buganda was one of the largest and most potent ethnic groups in the region. Their leader, Kabaka Muteesa, allowed his subjects to choose their own religion. Some believed that Christianity was eroding their customs, values, and culture. In 1884, upon Muteesa’s death, his son Kabaka Mwanga ascended to the throne.

Mwanga did not share his father’s tolerance for other religions, and he had a particularly aversion to Christianity. In 1885, less than a year after becoming monarch, he had three missionaries executed because he felt their presence weakened his authority. An Anglican bishop and his entourage were assassinated later that year. One of Mwanga’s advisors, Joseph Makasa, questioned his monarch about this and was executed for his efforts. Makasa became the first black martyr as a result.

Mwanga targeted missionaries’ servants, and when Charles Lwanga, a missionary, attempted to protect them, he and 16 other missionaries were executed. The pretext was that they refused to declare their allegiance to the monarch, but Mwanga was actually threatened by their disobedience. In 1887, when the persecution ultimately ended, Mwanga had 45 Christians executed, including 45 martyrs from the Anglican and Catholic churches. In 1964, Pope Paul VI canonised the Catholic martyrs, and on June 3, 1975, he dedicated a shrine to them. This is why Uganda Martyrs Day is observed annually on June 3.

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