NAMUGONGO, Uganda — On the spot where some of this nation's first Christians were burned to death for adhering to their beliefs, Pope Francis offered a Mass for hundreds of thousands of Ugandans on Saturday.
He spoke in solemn tones about how "worldly pleasures and earthly power do not bring lasting joy," and he urged people to "reach out to those in need" and "build a more just society."
The crowd in front of him seemed to stretch to the horizon. All types of people were there: Catholics and Anglicans, taxi drivers and presidential hopefuls, clergy members, police officers, babies carried on backs, and tiny children in tiny suits.
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Vendors worked through the lines, wads of Ugandan shillings in their hands, doing an excellent business selling clocks, fans, T-shirts, and visors — all emblazoned with the pope's face
The Namugongo shrine, just outside the capital, Kampala, is dedicated to the 19th century Anglican and Catholic converts in Uganda who were burned, speared, and tortured by a local king after they refused to renounce their Christian beliefs. The 22 Catholic martyrs were canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964.
Inside the halls, vivid sculptural displays depict the gruesome killings: one man tied at the ankles being dragged away, another splayed across a tree as a figure above him wields an ax. Before celebrating the Mass, Francis paused to bow his head in front of the shrine.
Christianity in Uganda did not just survive. It flourished. Today, about 85 percent of Ugandans are Christian, with Roman Catholics accounting for half of them. But the Pentecostal church has been growing fast, along with some very conservative religious beliefs.
Western supporters of gay rights have accused some US evangelical Christian groups of promoting antigay sentiment in Uganda.
Politicians in Uganda made worldwide news in 2009 when they proposed executing gay people. The measure never became law, partly because of intense international pressure, but last year, President Yoweri Museveni signed a bill imposing harsh sentences for homosexual acts, including life imprisonment in some cases. That law, however, was later struck down by a Ugandan court.
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Gay activists here said the legislation had created a dangerous culture of homophobia and in 2011, one of the most outspoken gay Ugandans was beaten to death with a hammer.
The pope is not expected to directly address issues of gay rights in Uganda. It is not even clear where Francis stands. In the past, he has said, "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" But during his visit to the United States in September, he met with a county clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Uganda is the middle stop on Francis' first official trip to Africa. He spent the first part in Kenya, and Sunday he is scheduled to head to the Central African Republic, which is in the midst of a deadly conflict between Christians and Muslims.