Ruben Spartas Mukasa
Encyclopedia
Ruben Spartas Mukasa was an early-20th Century religious reformer in Uganda. He had been part of the King's African Rifles
of the British Army, but came to feel that there needed to be an end to colonial rule in Africa and that this must be obtained through a religious rejuvenation with independent Christian Churches.
Mukasa formed the African Progessive Association, the Christian Army for the Salvation of Africa and he also formed a branch of the African Orthodox Church
in Uganda. The later came about in 1932 when Mukasa war ordained a priest by a bishop under Marcus Garvey
.
However Mukasa later learned that the African Orthodox Church was not inline with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church. Mukasa split with the western Church and went to Alexandria where he was ordained by Patriarch Christophoros II. Patriarch Christophoros was the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria thus putting Mukasa into the Eastern Orthdox group that is mainly in the area from Greece to Russia, a totally different religious tradition from the Oriental Orthdox Church that the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches are part of.
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
of the British Army, but came to feel that there needed to be an end to colonial rule in Africa and that this must be obtained through a religious rejuvenation with independent Christian Churches.
Mukasa formed the African Progessive Association, the Christian Army for the Salvation of Africa and he also formed a branch of the African Orthodox Church
African Orthodox Church
The African Orthodox Church is a primarily African-American denomination founded in the United States in 1921. It has approximately 15 parishes and 5,000 members, down significantly from the time of its greatest strength....
in Uganda. The later came about in 1932 when Mukasa war ordained a priest by a bishop under Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
.
However Mukasa later learned that the African Orthodox Church was not inline with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church. Mukasa split with the western Church and went to Alexandria where he was ordained by Patriarch Christophoros II. Patriarch Christophoros was the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria thus putting Mukasa into the Eastern Orthdox group that is mainly in the area from Greece to Russia, a totally different religious tradition from the Oriental Orthdox Church that the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches are part of.
Sources
- Boahnen, A. Abu. African Under Colonia Rule Vol. 7 in the History of Africa Series (Paris: UNESCO, 1990) p. 223.
- 2006 article on Orthodoxy in Uganda