By Spy Uganda
The late Fr. Isidore Kakyomya Araali, a former Catholic priest who resigned from active priesthood, married, raised a family and yet remained deeply rooted in the Church, has left behind a provocative spiritual testament that is now reigniting debate within Catholic circles. 
Fr.Kakyomya, an uncle to Spy Uganda’s CEO and Pan African Pyramid founding Speaker and Chairman, Andrew Irumba Katusabe, passed away on February 4, 2026, and will be laid to rest this Saturday in Kyarusozi, Kyenjojo District. He authored a book titled “I Received All The Seven Sacraments By God’s Abundant Grace”.
In it, he advances a bold but carefully reasoned appeal: that the Catholic Church should create room for priests who wish to marry without forcing them to abandon their priestly identity.
For devout Catholics, receiving all seven sacraments is rare. Yet Fr. Kakyomya did — Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Holy Orders, Matrimony and Anointing of the Sick — an unusual spiritual journey that he uses as the foundation of his argument.
On page 30 of his book, under the subheading Marriage And Priesthood, Fr. Kakyomya writes:
“While not acting as a judge, in my human experience, I testify that many priests have kept the faith and the vow of celibacy. We need to celebrate these priests for their fidelity. They are indeed a source of inspiration to us. On the other hand, I note with concern, the existence of human weaknesses that have at times, made it difficult for some priests to remain celibate. Should the church therefore keep silent or assume nothing is happening? Should the minister with difficulties in observing celibacy assume everything is ok? I recommend that the church opens a discussion with a view of giving ministers space who for one reason or the other, cannot be celibate, the option of serving as married priests while also taking responsibility.”
He continues with a theological reminder often overlooked in contemporary debate:
“Besides, this does not contradict the history of the church. Apostles were married people and yet diligently executed their mission.”
Fr. Kakyomya does not write from rebellion, but from lived experience. In Chapter Three of his book titled Official Marriage In Church, he narrates how his wedding was conducted in Virika Cathedral, Fort Portal, presided over by the Bishop of Fort Portal Diocese after guidance from church authorities.
He writes: “On 1st December 1996, I got officially married in the Catholic Church… The marriage gave me yet another noble opportunity of growth in the church of Christ, this time not as a priest but as a parent, experiencing the real meaning of marriage vows.”
He further explains how family life deepened rather than weakened his faith:
“I got first-hand experiences I had not had before as a young boy. Once more, I got reminded of the role of family and parents. Together with my wife, I had to make a home, the first church.”
In another striking passage under The Institution Of The Family, he observes:
“If the church is to remain faithful to the Gospel, she must invest in the family institution. Young people should have the courage to embrace marriage, love each other and bring up children that will sustain our church.”
Fr. Kakyomya’s position is not merely theological but pastoral and realistic. He questions what he calls a culture of silence around clergy struggles, arguing that pretending “everything is okay” ignores the lived realities where some priests and nuns secretly have children or suffer grave personal crises.
His life became his message. After leaving priesthood, he raised six children and, as he proudly notes, had eight grandchildren by September 2025 — all raised within Catholic values.
Importantly, Fr. Kakyomya remained in good standing with the Church as an elder. He recounts that when he met the Pope, he was thanked for his honesty and blessed. The Pope reportedly communicated with the Archbishop in Uganda to treat him with dignity and pastoral care rather than condemnation.
In a section titled Dealing With Ex-Priests, he urges compassion:
“Ex-priests who have not been excommunicated remain members of the church. The church therefore, should find space and time to treat all ex-priests with love, mercy and compassion.”
Fr. Kakyomya’s death now reopens a conversation he spent decades quietly advocating for: whether the Catholic Church should reconsider mandatory celibacy for priests who feel called both to ministry and family life.
To his admirers, he was not a rebel but a truthful servant of God who believed the Church must confront reality rather than conceal it.
As he wrote with disarming humility: “While not acting as a judge… I testify from my human experience.”
In death, Fr. Isidore Kakyomya Araali leaves not just memories, but a theological challenge that the Church may one day be compelled to answer.
