The role of the church in the fight against domestic violence in the light of Familiaris Consortio in Katimba Catholic Parish, Masaka Diocese

Abstract

This research work presents the role of the Catholic Church in the fight against domestic violence in Katimba Parish-Masaka diocese. This work is done in light of the apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio of John Paul II and other Church deliberations on the family. In Uganda today and the whole world at large but Katimba Parish in particular, there is a mistaken theoretical and practical concept of the independence of the spouses in relation to each other, serious misconceptions regarding the relationship of authority between parents and children, (Familiaris consortio, n. 6) the concrete difficulties that the family itself experiences in the transmission of values, the growing number of divorces, the scourge of abortion, the monster of domestic violence, the ever more frequent recourse to sterilization and the appearance of a truly contraceptive mentality. The more troubling signs of this phenomenon include the spread of divorce, killings, rape of women and girls, the celebration of the marriage sacrament without living faith, but for other motives, the rejection of the moral norms that guide and promote the human and Christian exercise of sexuality in marriage. There is an increase in the cases of domestic violence being registered. For instance, violence affects at least one in three women and girls in the world according to the UN violence against women Report given in 2008. Uganda is noticing a steady increase of violence cases against women and girls. What surprises is that, in Uganda we have the domestic violence act, the Penal Code and other laws; but girls and women are still facing aggravated violence. Some non government organizations such as Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention (CDVP) have come up to fight the disease or monster of domestic violence but it increases. The paper then has come up to investigate the role of the Catholic Church in the fight against domestic violence. The Church has, throughout the ages, produced many documents, trained individuals, carried out research, trying to fight domestic violence though the problem still persists. The possible causes of domestic violence and their presumed solutions have been suggested in this paper. The researcher, having gone through the causes and possible solutions of domestic violence, has given the recommendations to different groups of people who are directly affected by domestic violence. These, if employed, as suggested can help in reducing domestic violence in Katimba Parish and Uganda at large.