pressug.com News 24 7
Related Articles
A shocking revelation has rocked Uganda’s Catholic circles after a young man confessed that he is a biological son of a serving Catholic priest — and is now calling for all “hidden” children of priests to be officially recognized.
The man, Oburu Bright, says he is a proud member of Coping International — an online global movement of children fathered by ordained Catholic priests.
“Yes, I am a biological son of an ordained Catholic priest,” Oburu boldly declared to this publication. “We are thousands across Uganda and the world, and I want all of us in Uganda to be recognized too.”
Advertisements
Oburu’s story is straight out of a movie. He says he grew up believing another man was his father — until a family secret exploded when he turned 20 years.
“I grew up with my mother as she is married to someone else. And I used to know that the man my mother was married to was my biological father and I could call him Baba (literally meaning Daddy). The contradictory revelation about another person whom I should have called my biological Daddy got me when I was 20 years old.
“The man whom I knew initially as my father started mistreating me, using all sorts of vulgar words against me, to the extent of attempting to burn me in the house for just not being his biological son!” Oburu narrated emotionally.
Desperate and heartbroken, he ran to his aunt’s home 50 kilometers away. That’s when the truth came out.
“As a result, I left home in 2005 with the decision of going anywhere I could find refuge. I decided to go to my Aunt’s place some 50k/ms away. It was at night. Little did I know that my Aunt knew all my biological secrets. After narrating all that happened, she began crying while talking a lot about my birth story. That’s the moment she told me that my biological father is an ordained catholic priest at that time working in Kenya. I too followed her with tears, while recalling all mistreatment I went through in the hand of a stranger yet I have my true biological father,” he further narrate.”
He adds: “Then later I pressurized her to take me to my fathers home. There I found grandmothers who after looking at me, they thought it was my biological father visiting them, yes we resemble each other so much. That’s how I got to know my father and now I stay at his ancestral home while he is still in the service.”
Today, Oburu lives at his father’s ancestral home, though his priestly father continues to serve under the Apostles of Jesus in Hoima Diocese, Western Uganda. His names have been withheld on the request of Oburu.
” I don’t want to spoil his priestly service because he still in service. Since you are aware in Uganda we still don’t have their protection after such things become public.”
But life hasn’t been easy for Oburu.
“I am not allowed to identify with my father in the public. I rarely talk with my father even if I am now old enough. My mother has never told me anything about my existence. I feel shy and shameful in the public mostly where they are introducing with parental identity,” he tearfully reflected.
GLOBAL NETWORK OF PRIESTS’ CHILDREN
Oburu says he found comfort and strength in Coping International Coping International , founded by Irishman Vincent Doyle, also a priest’s son.
“We are more than 10,000 children of priests worldwide. I’m the only one from Uganda, but I know there are many hidden and suffering in silence,” he revealed.
Coping International fights for public recognition, mental health support, and the right for priests’ children to know and be known by their fathers.
It advocates for public recognition and freedom of the biological children of the Ordained priests. And also allowing Union of such children with their parents
“We are not asking to destroy their service,” Oburu says. “We just want recognition, healing, and to stop living like ghosts.””
Oburu now wants Ugandan media, government, and the Catholic Church to open up this discussion.
Children of priests live in shame, secrecy, and pain,” he says. “The Church must stop pretending we don’t exist.”
Coping International has already pushed the Vatican to quietly acknowledge priests’ children in Europe — but in Africa, the topic remains taboo.
“We are not mistakes or scandals,” Oburu concludes. “We are human beings — and we deserve to be seen.”
He said he has benefitted a lot from being a member of Coping International.
“Benefits? Yes, a motivation that I am not alone. Unless one experiences the life of children of Catholic priests, no one feels it is important they should be treated like others born by the lay people. There are mental and health benefits.”
COMING UP: In our subsequent publications we will dig deeper into the lives of Uganda’s “hidden children of priests” — their names, struggles, secrets, and search for identity. We shall also reveal the names of priests who have children and known families countrywide without fear or favour.
DO YOU KNOW A PRIEST, BISHOP WHO HAS SECRET KIDS OR FAMILY? CALL/TEXT/WHATSAPP: 0777959024 or EMAIL: redpeppertips@gmail.com
SOURCE PROTECTION IS OUR NO.1 PRIORITY!
