Jonah (Lwanga) of Kampala

His Eminence Jonah of Kampala

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Jonah (Lwanga) is the Archbishop of Kampala and All Uganda, in central Africa, part of the Church of Alexandria. His see is Kampala, with jurisdiction over all Uganda.

Biography

The future Archbishop was born in rural Degeya, British Protectorate of Uganda in 1945 to an Orthodox family. Father Obadiah Kabanda Basajakitalo was his grandfather, and thus His Eminence grew surrounded by the missionary efforts of the first Orthodox Ugandans. From 1952 to 1964, Jonah completed his general education in Bulemezi and Kyadondo, Uganda and then departed that year to study at the Ecclesiastical School of Crete, until 1968.

Immediately following graduation from the Ecclesiastical School he continued studies at the University of Athens, graduating in 1973 with a degree in Philosophy. Jonah stayed at the University of Athens until 1978, this time obtaining a degree in Theology. In 1979 Jonah headed back to Uganda, serving as secretary of the Ugandan Mission under Archbishop Frumentios (Nasios) (1972–1981) of the Archdiocese of Irinoupolis until 1981.

On May 1, 1981, he was ordained to the diaconate. In October His Beatitude Anastasios (Yannoulatos), then Bishop of Androusa (1972–1991), arrived in Kenya in order to become Vicar for East Africa, following the repose of Archbishop Frumentios. The East African Mission grew substantially during his tenure because it was one of the few occasions in Church History that a hierarch from a certain Synod (the Church of Greece) ruled another Synod's (the Patriarchate of Alexandria) jurisdiction during its vacancy.

His Beatitude ordained Deacon Jonah to the Holy Priesthood in 1982. In the same year, as Professor of Theology, he was sent to the Ecclesiastical School of Makarios III in Riruta, Nairobi, which had been inaugurated in the previous year. During this time, he was elevated to Archimandrite. Archimandrite Jonah worked together with Professor Andreas Tillyrides, current Archbishop of Nairobi, who helped establish the seminary since 1977. One was the counterpart of the other: Professor Andreas was a Greek missionary, layman and pupil of His Eminence Kallistos (Ware) of Dioclea in Oxford University; while Professor Jonah was an Ugandan native, consecrated clergyman and studied with the great ecclesiastical teachers of Athens.

The fall of both Atheist Albania and the Socialist Bloc in 1991 marked the end of the persecution against Orthodoxy in Albania, and Bishop Anastasios was elected the first Archbishop of Tirana since 1967, leader of the Church of Albania. Succeeded him as Vicar to East Africa Archbishop Petros of Accra (1990–1994), future Patriarch of Alexandria (1997–2004). With the help of Patriarch Parthenios III of Alexandria (1987–1996), Archbishop Petros submitted to the Holy Synod the request to establish two dioceses: a titular one in Riruta for Professor Andreas, now known as Archimandrite Makarios, and another one for the Tanzanian Mission in Bukoba for Archimandrite Jonah.

The Holy Synod agreed and, on July 26, 1992, Archimandrite Jonah was elected Bishop of Bukoba, while Makarios was made Bishop of Riruta on the previous day. One of His Grace's first decisions in Tanzania was joining the Syndesmos Orthodox Youth Movement together with Bishop Makarios. Bishop Jonah has always stressed the participation of children in the Church, as he was raised in the Church in his youth. Because of this, today East Africa has the largest Orthodox population of Africa.

In 1997, Archbishop Petros was elected Patriarch of Alexandria following the repose of Patriarch Parthenios. Three days after his election and under his recommendation, the Holy Synod elevated Bishop Jonah to Archbishop of Kampala and Exarch of All Uganda on March 12, 1997, and Bishop Makarios to Archbishop of Zimbabwe and Exarch of Southern Africa in 1998.

On May 12, 1997, he was elected by the Holy Synod as Archbishop of Kampala and Exarch of All Uganda, succeeding Metropolitan Theodore (Nankyama) of Kampala.

During 1999, His Eminence Jonah made a lecture tour in the United States in which he described his experiences and struggles as a missionary in Uganda. He visited over 18 parishes throughout the United States.

Sources

• ORI: Metropolitan Jonah of Kampala and All Uganda
• Patriarchate of Alexandria Archdiocese List website

Succession box: Jonah (Lwanga) of Kampala
Preceded by: —	Bishop of Bukoba 1992–1997	Succeeded by: Porphyrios (Skikos)
Preceded by: Theodoros (Nankyama)	Archbishop of Kampala 1997–Present	Succeeded by: —

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