One of the longest-serving and first Bishops of Hoima Catholic Dioceses Edward Baharagate has died this evening. Bishop Baharagate died at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala on Wednesday evening according to the reigning Hoima Diocese Bishop Vincent Kirabo.
Baharagate is one of the 12 Bishops who were consecrated on August 1, 1969, by Pope Paul VI during his visit to Uganda and the event was held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, in Kampala. This means he has died serving as a Bishop for more than 50 years.
The other Bishops who were consecrated with Baharagate in 1969 include Barnabas Halem’Imana, Bishop of Kabale; Sarapio Bwemi Magambo, Auxiliary Bishop of Fort Portal; John Baptist Kakubi, Bishop of Mbarara; and Baharagate of Hoima. Besides the four from Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria had two bishops each. Cameroon, Zambia, Gabon, and Burkina Faso produced one bishop each.
Baharagate demise means only the former Archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia, Emmanuel Milingo who was ex-communicated and reduced to lay status in 2009 for going against church doctrines is still alive out of the 12 Bishop consecrated by Pope VI in 1969.