Walking with the people: Pope's lesson in proximity and presence

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Dr Tonny Muzaale

In November 2015, when Pope Francis set foot on Ugandan soil, he did more than visit; he bore witness. In an age of spectacle and detachment, the Pope offered a quiet yet thunderous lesson in proximity and presence.

From the moment his feet touched the red earth of Entebbe to his visit to the poor of Namuwongo and the youth at Kololo, he embodied a leadership model deeply rooted in moral thinking and the radical humility of service.

Pope Francis did not arrive with grand pronouncements or aloof ceremonial distance. He walked with the people literally and symbolically. He touched their wounds, listened to their hopes, and bowed before their dignity.

In visiting Uganda, he deliberately chose the peripheries, reminding us that leadership is not about dominion but about communion. His message was profoundly touching: true greatness lies not in commanding from above but in accompanying from below.

He walked among the survivors of conflict in northern Uganda, implicitly evoking the ghosts of the Lord’s Resistance Army and the pain it inflicted. But he did not dwell on division. Instead, he spoke of peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. In a land still bearing the scars of war and the tremors of political fracture, his presence was a moral call to forge unity not through coercion, but through dialogue.

How, then, can Uganda’s own leaders, political, religious, and traditional, learn to walk more with their people? The Vatican has often played quiet yet profound roles in African peace processes, from supporting mediation in South Sudan to offering sanctuary for dialogue.

Pope Francis's presence in Uganda reaffirmed the country's moral relevance on the continent. Yet, what endures is not his titles or stature, but the humility he modelled, embracing the poor, blessing the sick, and washing the feet of those society forgets.

Uganda today stands at a crossroad: politically divided, economically strained, and environmentally vulnerable. Yet it also stands full of promise. Could we, inspired by the pope's example, build a National Reconciliation Moment, one that transcends political camps, ethnic allegiances, and religious lines?

Francis's encounter with traditional leaders, including the Kabaka, affirmed the deep power of cultural heritage in building community resilience. His respect for Uganda’s customs wasn’t a formality but an invitation. Can our cultural leaders, long seen as custodians of wisdom, lead a renaissance of moral renewal and conflict resolution rooted in values deeper than partisanship?

At Kololo, Pope Francis’s appeal to youth was as urgent as it was tender. He called on them not just to dream but to act to transform a broken world. In a nation where youth unemployment continues to fester, education reforms stall, and governance often sidelines young voices, the challenge remains: will Uganda heed his call?

Environmental stewardship was another frontier. His encyclical Laudato Si’ is no abstraction in Uganda, where rampant deforestation for fuel and illegal mining threaten ecosystems, wetlands vanish, and deforestation accelerates. To honour him, Uganda must balance development with creation care, recognising, as Francis teaches, that environmental and social justice are one.

He met with Muslims and Anglicans with equal reverence. It is time Uganda institutionalises this spirit, perhaps through a Permanent Interfaith Council that can serve as a moral compass, especially during elections and crises. Interfaith unity is not a luxury; it is the soul of national cohesion.

In the Uganda Martyrs, the pope found a metaphor of holy courage. In them, he saw not just saints, but citizens who chose conscience over convenience. Their legacy, and his message of mercy, should animate our politics, our pulpits, and our village councils.

Finally, who can forget his kiss upon the brow of a child from the slums of Kampala? It was a gesture of radical dignity, a sermon in silence. He reminded all of us leaders and citizens alike that to lead is to serve, to serve is to love, and to love is to walk with the people. Uganda, the pope walked with us. Now the question remains: who among us will walk with the people?

The writer is a legal and Research Analyst