On 5th September 2025, it marked exactly four years since Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga of the Uganda Orthodox Church reposed in the Lord.
In celebrating his life and remembering the hierarch who served the Orthodox Church in Uganda for over twenty-four years, memorial services were conducted at different Dioceses of the Church in Uganda, with the main celebrations at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Kampala.
Word over, many personalities, including hierarchs of different Orthodox Churches, have for years since his repose commented a lot about the Metropolitan Jonah, hinting at his relevance in the Orthodox world.
His successor and now the Metropolitan of Kampala, Jeronymos Muzeeyi, who, among other hierarchs, concelebrated the divine liturgy and the memorial service in Kampala, read an article about the late hierarch.
Understanding the late Metropolitan Jonah, by his successor, Metropolitan Jeronymos
Understanding the Man.
The late Metropolitan Jonah was a mystery—truly difficult to understand. Whether one chose to draw close to him or remain at a distance, he could not easily be comprehended. This was because his heart had encountered the greatest mystery of all—our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ remained Metropolitan Jonah’s truest and greatest goal in life and service. In Christ, he discovered the very meaning of life. He surrendered himself to Christ, embraced the cross, and allowed Christ to become his everything. In weakness, Christ was his strength; in hunger, Christ was his bread of life; and in death, Christ was his eternal life.
Indeed, Metropolitan Jonah walked a mysterious journey of deep commitment and dedication to Christ, and of sacrificial love and service to God’s people. His ultimate goal was always eternity in the glorious presence of God.
Metropolitan Jonah’s Transformative Zeal.
Christ, through the way of the Gospel and the Spirit, transforms the hearts of people, making them new creatures in Him and agents of transformation in the world. The encounter that Metropolitan Jonah experienced led him zealously to become a true transformative agent, particularly for Uganda, his beloved motherland.
He understood that his own spiritual renewal was inseparably linked to responsibility for the world. He aspired to change the world and lived as a voice for the voiceless, showing compassion to all those burdened by injustice.
He lived to the fullest the transformative events of our liturgical tradition, especially the Divine Liturgy. In it, having “seen the true light” and “received the heavenly Spirit,” he allowed divine grace to transform him—and with zeal he sought solutions to the deepest challenges of the world.
Our Common Responsibility.
The Uganda we desire is one of transformed people—people who have encountered Christ, the greatest mystery, at the deepest level of their lives. People transformed by Christ and determined to transform Uganda, even amidst challenges.
Therefore, it is not enough to merely celebrate the life of the late Metropolitan Jonah. His life must challenge us and inspire us. He lived a life of deep love for Christ and tireless service to God’s people.
As Orthodox Christians, though we may appear few, with God we are many. For it is the truth that saves, and our mission is not to conform to the world but to transform it. We must never compromise our core values; rather, we must witness to another way of seeing, living, and acting—the true life in Christ.
Let us become, as the Lord taught, the mustard seed, the leaven, the light of the world, and the salt of the earth. Following in the footsteps of the late Metropolitan Jonah, may our own personal transformation—by the grace of God—make us Orthodox Christians who bring transformation to others. Indeed, we are the hope that lies within Uganda.
Bishop Silvester Kisitu of Jinja on the life of Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga
In his remarks, His Grace Silvester of Jinja praised the late Metropolitan Yonah Lwanga for his truthfulness and courage in preaching the Word of God in a world where, sadly, many preachers now focus more on pleasing people than on proclaiming truth and justice.
His Grace also pointed out the fundamental role of the late Metropolitan in the growth and development of the Orthodox Faith in Uganda, Africa, and the world over, emphasizing his role in standing out against the atrocities against human rights, support for the oppressed, and his role in promoting philanthropy in Uganda and the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa in general.
