Monsignor Dr. John Vianney Sunday, the Vicar General of Kabale Catholic Diocese, has issued a church discipline warning to Christians who are turning the house of God into a place of distraction and casual conduct. Speaking during the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAF) celebration at Our Lady of Good Shepherd Rushoroza Cathedral in Kabale Municipality, he urged believers to restore reverence in worship.
Call for Respect and Reverence in Worship
Monsignor Sunday decried the increasing trend of believers using mobile phones, taking selfies, and engaging in casual conversations during Mass. He emphasized that the Church should not resemble a marketplace but remain a sacred space dedicated to prayer and worship.
“The Church of God should not be a place for business. Many fail to value the sacrifice of the Mass and misuse the sacred time meant for prayer,” he said, warning that disrespecting sacred rituals weakens spiritual growth and community devotion.
Condemnation of Commercializing Spirituality
The cleric also cautioned against turning spiritual acts into profit-making ventures. He reminded the congregation that the Church’s mission centers on evangelization and helping the poor. “We must not commercialize spiritual gifts,” he stated. “Our lives are temples of the Holy Spirit, and when we live in sin, we become like muddy water that stains others.”
Faith, Unity, and Responsibility
Monsignor Sunday reminded Christians that through baptism, each believer becomes part of the universal Church, built on faith, love, and shared responsibility. He called upon the faithful to support church initiatives like the BAAF, which raised UGX 137,789,800 and 100 bags of cement for cathedral renovations this year.
He concluded by encouraging believers to “invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse and heal us,” reinforcing that true worship demands purity of heart and devotion to God’s mission.
