Rev. Geoffrey Loum has finally been consecrated as the 8th Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda.
He was consecrated today at St. Phillip`s Cathedral in Gulu City, two days after aggrieved church members withdrew a petition seeking to stop the exercise citing irregularities.
On 19th October 2021, Tom Mboya Okecho and Emmanuel Omwony through their lawyers Waymo Advocates filed a suit at Gulu High Court seeking a permanent injunction on Rev. Loum`s consecration citing irregularities and violation of the canon laws.
The plaintiffs dragged the Church of Uganda to court alongside other defendants that included the Registered Trustees of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, Registered Trustees of the Church of Uganda, Archbishop Rev. Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, Francis Gimara, and Rev Loum.
They also argued that the failure by the Registered Trustees of the Province of Church of Uganda and the Archbishop to cancel and nullify the illegal appointment of Rev Loum as the Bishop of Northern Uganda Diocese amounts to a breach of duty and failure to perform functions imposed on the Archbishop by the Constitution of the Province of the Church of Uganda.
Further, they wanted a court order to nullify and set aside the appointment of Rev Loum as the Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, causing the trustees to cause the appointment of an appropriate and legally constituted nominations committee for the selection and appointment of the Bishop.
They also wanted a permanent injunction issued against defendants from declaring and consecrating or enthroning Rev Geoffrey Loum as the Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda.
This had placed the consecration and enthronement of the Bishop at stake until the intervention of leaders from the Acholi Sub Region led by Chief Justice Owiny Dollo, seeking the appellants to withdraw the petition against the defendants.
Consequently, on Friday 18 November 2021, the Principle Judge Dr. Justice Flavian Zeija issued a notice of withdrawal of suit by consent of the parties and their respective advocates.
The notice further indicated that the Chief Justice of Uganda shall continue with the mediation process to ensure reconciliation of all the parties.
On Sunday, clergies led by the Archbishop of the Province of Church of Uganda, Stephen Kazimba Mugalu oversaw the consecration of Rev. Geoffrey Loum from the Diocese of Northern Uganda.
Among the hundreds of people in attendance were government and religious leaders including Chief Justice Owiny Dollo, NRM Secretary General Richard Toodwong, DP President Norbert Mao, and Henry Luke Orombi among others.
While preaching over the event, Henry Luke Orombi asked the new Bishop to be a shepherd to all regardless of religious affiliations and should forgive and not curse, something Rev. Loum pledged to do.
The Diocese of Northern Uganda Bishop Emeritus, Johnson Gakumba who was succeeded by the Rev. Bishop Geoffrey Loum pledged to support his successor. Rev. Loum was elected by the House of Bishops that sat at Lweza Training and Conference Centre in Entebbe on August 12.
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