Father Centurio Olaboro at the Parliament of the World's Religions

you come from the Catholic tradition so being here at the parliament how do you how do you understand that the that the Christian tradition needs to move change if it is to meet the demands of the 21th century yeah I know that's a big question yeah this a big I think I will answer it good I think religion is really man's as asent man's movement towards God [Music] and when we come together today Catholic anglicans and all the other peoples of other faiths coming together we're trying to look for an answer to man's longing to meet his God especially meeting God through interaction with other people because religion without other people is empty just moving to God without knowing my relationship with the others is empty is nothing so we are moving as a body of people of God together to get the solutions to our problems in the world today and this conference is very vital and it couldn't have come at a better time than this time so this is what I I think mhm why why this time why is that particularly a powerful time too we are in the third millennium and the challenges of the second millennium are different from the present ones so I think this is a very very proper time for us to come together and moreover the needs of the world are increasing yes and we must answer them today yes right what do you see as being the main challenges of the third billennium refugees MH water for all mhm AIDS yes uh and feeding everybody the vital Necessities the human needs very V essential needs of man we must answer them and it doesn't matter whether you are poor or you are rich whether you from America or from Europe mhm all our needs are the same and we must see them as one people if we are to be people of God M MH are there some particular aspects of the tradition that we need to leave behind if we are going to the if the if the if the tradition is going to move forward into the future now now now you're entering of my own tradition or other tradition both I was starting with your own tradition I was going to ask you about other Traditions too yeah I think the role of women we shall have to improve yes we shall have to include women in many parts of our own tradition I don't talk about ordination because that one I think is is higher than me but what women can play and especially in decisions of the church and more participation in the activities of the church yeah more s about 7 to 50 more 50% of my congregation is women and I think they have to get a bigger role and especially in my African culture you know I I talk from my own background in Africa women were marginalized and we can't continue like this in the church too we have to promote women I think there's a lot being done already but there's still more room for the women to play a bigger role in the church because of what's happened in the last few years years in the world with 9/11 and different in the the different Wars Afghanistan and Iraq and also because of the memory of the Rwanda genocide the world's attention is you know I think there's been more awareness in the world that that we we we simply we all we all are we all have a stake in the in the in the in the future not only of the west but of AFC but very much of Africa as well and it will affect us all if if any parts of the world are are falling below below a human standard so do you see you know know in terms of your own area because you Uganda it's been that's been a religious violence has been a problem in that area of the world how do you see um your own church is helping to address those issues I think the world is realizing more and more that the world of religion and faith has a lot to play with the development of peoples and of the world and this is one positive thing that I realize today because for a long time the world was doing development as if the church is an appendix to development in Africa especially the church has brought in a lot of civilization without the church there would be no education without the church there would be no work without the church there would be no what we call Western Civilization brought in and I am happy now that in most of the development projects and in most of the activities the church has a big role to play and the church is also realizing more and more that it cannot stand aloof when or cannot just talk about preaching the gospel and saving the souls of people and living out issues of justice and peace issues which deal with governance of people and the wellbeing of persons so that's why the Bishops in Northern Uganda for instance they have been talking outspoken about the war in the North and the debt relief for the people and they bring about bringing water M Bishops have even had to sleep in the streets MH in in in in the towns to show the government that they need to do something about the war so we we can't remain in the church we have to come in and play Big role in the issues that concern our people so that is and about AIDS I am I am moving out everywhere to talk to friends to talk to organizations to help us because AIDS I mean who are suffering the people many many people are suffering and we need to help these people to live a worthy life to have dig to have food to have drink to have education because many orphans millions are there left without care because of the death of a parent but the other members of the community the International Community can come in and save the world because you cannot Bank this problem and say oh it is only African problem or is a problem a problem of a poor man but you know we are all related whether it's a poor man suffering it is part of you suffering whether is an African suffering it the problems will backlash will come on on the others who who may be enjoying now so that's why we should get concerned all of us