When we think of home, what usually comes to mind is a place of peace and solace together with the people you love the most. A Roman Catholic archbishop from southeastern Uganda, however, reminded Christians that not all houses are safe spaces: Some wives and children are suffering right inside their homes.
In a recent interview with The Catholic News Agency, Archbishop Emmanuel Obbo of Tororo—a district located in the eastern part of the African nation—urged Christians around the world to speak out against domestic violence.
"It's a concern for the family; it's a concern for the society; above all, it's a concern for the Church, and we cannot keep quiet," Archbishop Obbo said.
He particularly lamented the beating of some wives and children, making some young girls "not free to live in this society."
To lead by example, Archbishop Obbo has tapped the Church in his area to make sure that those suffering from domestic violence will have somewhere to go to. He established a chaplaincy for domestic violence in each deanery of his archdiocese.
"We are trying to do what we can, from the grassroots to my office, to see that domestic violence is reduced to zero," he explained.
The archbishop likewise encouraged parishes under his supervision to have domestic violence committees, where individuals who have suffered or even committed this kind of violence can help others understand what causes it, with the end goal of finding non-violent solutions to this challenge.
"We get families who have passed through (domestic violence), who have been trained and cured or healed themselves, reconciled themselves, and they spread their witness to the others, teaching them from place to place," he said.
Aside from these efforts within the Church organisation, Obbo also utilises a radio programme to discuss domestic violence, and to call on law enforcement officers to get involved in the fight against violence involving wives and children in their very homes.
