movement strongly emphasized apocalypticism in their booklet A Timely Message from Heaven: The End of the Present Time. Hence, he led an elite circle of six men and six women deemed to be the "new apostles." These apostles had an equal number of women because of the emphasis they placed on Mother Mary as instrumental in sweeping them toward heaven. The group declared several dates upon which the end of the world would arrive; however, several of these dates came and went with no sign of an apocalypse. Reportedly, Kibweteere stated that the year 2000 would be followed by "year 1 of the new world." These and other claims had little effect on the wider world. For the most part, he remained an obscure figure in Uganda and never formally split with the Catholic Church. Disappearance In March 2000 the group began slaughtering cattle and buying massive amounts of Coca-Cola. These events did not initially raise alarm, but they were preparation for a feast before death. On March 17, Kibweteere apparently died in the group's mass murder. A member of Kibweteere's family stated that the ostensible leader's actions had been entirely influenced by Credonia Mwerinde. A great deal remains unclear about his story and about the movement. The BBC reported that Kibweteere had been treated for bipolar disorder a year or so before the group suicide. At that time, the Ugandan authorities considered him a fugitive and mass-murderer because they believed him to have escaped. The date and nature of the apocalypse the group expected has been debated. There is one camp that indicates they believed it would come in 1999 and that the 2000 suicide was caused by the failure of that prophecy. This would seem confirmed by some of their activities of 1999, but, in their literature, 2000 is often seen as the "end year". The nature of his role and significance to the events is also disputed. Due to the circumstances, satisfactory answers to these and other questions may never be forthcoming. See also List of people who disappeared References External links Seven Years Since the Kanungu Massacre Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God. BBC Report ABC Report Religious Tolerance.org on the Movement 1932 births 2000s missing person cases 20th-century apocalypticists Former Roman Catholics Founders of new religious movements Marian visionaries Missing people Missing person cases in Uganda Movement for the Restoration of