Archbishop Ssemogerere appoints new Vicar General

Rev. Fr. Vincent Rogers Kabuye Mukasa is new Vicar General

Rubaga, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | His Grace Dr. Paul Ssemogerere, Archbishop of Kampala, has announced changes in the administration of the archdiocese, marking the end of Msgr. Charles Kasibante’s long tenure as Vicar General.

The announcement, made by the Archdiocesan Chancellor Rev Fr Pius Male Ssentumbwe in a letter addressed to all priests and lay faithful within the Kampala Archdiocese, revealed that Msgr. Kasibante,73, who has served in this role under two archbishops, has been replaced by Rev. Fr. Vincent Rogers Kabuye Mukasa.

“I am writing to you on behalf of his grace Paul Ssemogerere, archbishop of Kampala to announce a new appointment within our archdiocese, it’s with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of rev Fr Vincent Rogers Kabuye Mukasa as one of the vicar generals of Kampala archdiocese,” the letter dated Feb 22, reads in part.

In an interview with URN shortly after the announcement, Fr. Male explained that although Msgr. Kasibante has been replaced as Vicar General, he will be given a new assignment by the Archbishop in due course.

“He has not retired; he has simply been replaced as Vicar General. The Archbishop will assign him another role as he sees fit. We are truly grateful to Msgr. Kasibante for his dedicated service as Vicar General, and we ask God to bless him in his new assignment, which will be communicated soon,” Fr. Male said.

Msgr. Kasibante, who has served in this role for nearly 17 years, was first appointed Vicar General in 2008 by the late Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga. When Msgr. Kasibante became Vicar General, he replaced then Msgr. (now Archbishop) Paul Ssemogerere, who held the position from 1991 to 2008 before being named Bishop of Kasana-Luweero.

Fr. Vincent Rogers Kabuye Mukasa, who has recently returned from sabbatical leave in the United States of America, will officially assume the role of Vicar General immediately. Before his sabbatical, he served as the Rector of Kisubi Seminary.

In the Catholic Church, the Vicar General is a priest appointed by the Bishop to act as the highest administrative officer within a diocese. The Vicar General serves as the Bishop’s ‘deputy’, holding executive authority to assist in governing and managing the diocese, though without legislative or judicial power.

According to Canon Law, the Bishop has the authority to appoint and remove a Vicar General as necessary. The Vicar General must be at least 30 years old, possess expertise in both canon law and theology, be unrelated to the Bishop, and exhibit good character. The Vicar General reports directly to the Bishop, represents him in his absence, and is entrusted with overseeing administrative duties, serving as the head of the diocesan offices, also known as the curia.

In Kampala, there are two Vicar GeneralS. In addition to The newly appointed Fr. Vincent Rogers Kabuye Mukasa, Msgr. Gerald Kalumba serves as another Vicar General while also being the Parish Priest at Christ the King Parish in Kampala.

Although the general rule is to appoint only one Vicar General per diocese, the Bishop (or Archbishop, in the case of Kampala) may appoint more than one Vicar General when necessary. This is typically the case in large dioceses or archdioceses, those with diverse populations, or when other pastoral reasons require additional leadership. The decision to appoint multiple Vicars General is made by the Bishop based on the specific needs of the diocese and is permitted by Canon Law.

After being installed as the fourth Archbishop of Kampala in 2022,  Ssemogerere chose to maintain the leadership structure and personnel left by his predecessor, the late Dr Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, while promising to steer the archdiocese to greater heights.

At the time, URN spoke to several priests who interpreted this decision in various ways. Some believed that the Archbishop wanted to give everyone a chance to demonstrate their potential, especially since many of the priests had only recently assumed their roles in 2020 following the changes introduced by the former Archbishop. Others saw it as a deliberate move to take time to study the situation before making any major decisions.

In October 2023, Archbishop Ssemogerere made his first reshuffle of priests, signalling a shift within the archdiocese. Today, he continues to make changes, not only among the clergy but across various other departments and areas of the archdiocese, taking a measured, step-by-step approach. This ongoing transition marks a new phase in the leadership of the archdiocese, as the Archbishop works to guide and shape its future.

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URN