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CHURCH LEADERS MAY LEAD KENYA TO GENOCIDE SIMILAR TO THAT OF RWANDA
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010
Just like many church leaders were divided before and after the presidential election in December 2007, pulled by the tribal loyalties of their constituencies, similar division which has clearly emerged over draft constitution may be worse than that of 20007-2008 when many innocent Kenyans lost their lives.
According to Fr Mark Faulkner, who worked in Ngong Catholic Diocese in the 1980s, church leaders are not to blame for negative ethnicity in Kenya. He argues that church leaders inherited negative ethnicity from the colonial days the church “took to heart” the rigid and often antagonistic tribal identities constructed by colonialists in their ‘divide and rule’ strategy.
Missionaries were appointed to a given tribe, where they worked for years,
learnt and wrote down the local language and the tribe’s history,
“introducing a regional flavor into their religious practice.”
Fr Faulkner who made the comment shortly after the presidential disputes where
church leaders openly took side with their political loyalists said dioceses
were created corresponding to the tribal boundaries established by secular
authorities.
Diocesan
priests and the bishop were recruited from the local ethnic community, except
in the remote dioceses where missionary bishops were still appointed since
these were expected to have access to financial support from their home
countries.
Already church leaders have clearly shown their divisions openly. Church leaders from Nyanza province have distanced themselves from those of Central and Eastern Provinces. While church leaders from Nyanza affiliated to the National Council of Churches of Kenya-NCCK insist they will rally their followers to vote ‘Yes’, church leaders from Central have vowed they will rally their followers to reject it.
Even though it could be argued that Kibaki has supported the draft constitution just like Raila has, thus this argument cannot be justified as did 2007, politically incorrect, the fact that most church leaders from Central and Easter draw their grudge because of Raila, is why they are not for it. Had he said ‘No’ and Kibaki ‘Yes’, definitely they would also say ‘Yes’ to it just as they did during 2005 referendum.
NCCK general secretary Canon Peter Karanja is leading his followers to say ‘No’ as Anglican bishops in Nyanza and Western, including Archbishop Eliud Wabukala of the Anglican Church of Kenya breaking ranks with fellow clergymen in supporting the draft.
Bishop Cornelius Korir of the Eldoret Catholic Diocese where Agriculture Minister Mr William Ruto has publicly called on his followers to reject the draft constitution asked worshippers on Good Friday to reject the draft at the referendum.
Retired president Daniel arap Moi (Kalenjin) has also opposed the draft constitution because of the land factors. He believes this constitution will not protect people who have huge potion of land. His fear is based on the fact that the land law prohibits private ownership by non-citizens and limits such ownership to leasehold not exceeding 99 years.
Moi is just issuing the statement at the time a row has erupted over the sale of prime government property in Nairobi to a company believed to be associated with Goldenberg architect Kamlesh Pattni.
A Sh3 billion development is planned for the prime plot granted by the Commissioner of Lands on a 50-year lease on which the company is required to pay rent of only Sh1.6 million a year.
The government leased the land to casino operators in 1969 and on renewing it in 1983 for a further seven years, included the condition that the land and developments on it would revert to it at the expiry of the lease.
Kenya under Moi lost $600m in compensation paid to Goldenberg International for non-existent gold and diamond exports. Former civil servant Wilfred Koinange mentioned Moi as the source of the authority to make the payment. The then head of the civil service, Professor Phillip Mbithi also told the commission that he was asked by Mr Moi in September 1992 to organise a transfer of $76m to Goldenberg. Some of the money received was invested in land.
The fact that last year strong rumors had it that Agriculture Minister William Ruto had found a soft landing spot in the dormant KENDA party and that the Eldoret North MP was soon take over its leadership from Kamlesh Patni can also tell a lot why Ruto like Moi is opposed to the constitution. Ruto was also mentioned in the Goldenberg scandals.
The idea of taking over the mantle of leadership of Kenda as senior journalist Leo Omolo Odero writes came about after his numerous attempts to take over the leadership of the United Democratic Movement-UDM failed. Ruto had originally planned to rejoin the UDM, and for some time had been having a good rapport with the UDM Secretary General, Mr. Ole Kamwaro, in anticipation that his relations with the ODM leader Raila Odinga is irreconcilable.
Mrs. Lina Jebii Kilimo who is also supporting Ruto in rejecting the draft constitution is the only Kenda MP sitting in the 10th parliament- Ruto has allegedly struck a deal with Mr. Kamlesh Patni, who in turn would relinquish his position as the Kenda party leader in favor of Ruto.
As Leo explains it is understood that the Kenda party will be restructured, with the Mvita MP and Minister for Tourism Najib Balala, taking over as the deputy party leader. Mr Patni will be relegated to the position of the party national organizing secretary in the new look Kenda party. Simama Kenya leader Jimmy Kibaki is slated to become the Kenda Secretary General, with the MP for Konoin, Dr. Julius Kones as his deputy in the new lineup.
If this rumour is true that the former MP for South Mugirango, Omingo Magara, who lost his parliamentary seat following the nullification of his seat by the High Court a couple of months ago would be made the national treasurer of the Kenda, then this can well help you understand how politics in Kenya is played and if you are blind you can just support a politician because he belongs to your ethnic group or come from your region, so please take care.
Muslims through their National Advisory Council National Chairman Sheikh Juma Ngao instead will vote ‘ Yes’ because it favours them. That is why even though Tourism Minister Najib Balala has sharply disagreed with Raila on many issues, for the sake of Muslims he says he will vote ‘Yes’ because it recognises the rights of Muslims and creates a form of devolution.
It is also why Changamwe Member of Parliament Ramadhan Kajembe for the sake of Muslims he is not only going to vote ‘Yes’ but also urging church leaders to stop misleading Kenyans on the Constitution making process, adding that constitutional making was an electoral process and not a religious process and that they should instead focus on properly guiding their followers on right choices.
It is about the same time Rev Timothy Njoya on behalf of a consortium of NGOs, has
not only warned church leaders that they stand to lose all credibility if they
joined up with some politicians to reject the law but also the Church's
credibility, he said, was severely dented by the divisive role it played in the
2005 referendum and the disputed 2007 General Election.
Reverend Njoya, who read the statement on behalf of the National Civil Society Congress, which leads the "Katiba Sasa!" campaign, also congratulated Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, of the Anglican Church of Kenya, for breaking ranks with fellow clergymen and supporting the draft.
Church leaders who are opposed to the constitution should learn from Rwanda where the Catholic Church bore grave responsibility for contributing to the culture that fermented the genocide that led to a Catholic arrested for participating in fuelling genocide.
Augustin Misago was the bishop of Gikongoro, a prefecture in southern Rwanda during the genocide, and would have faced a death penalty had he been found guilty. The trial of Bishop Augustin Misago finished some years back, with the prosecution calling for his execution.
Ethnic Hutu extremists massacred around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in three months of ethnic violence in 1994. Bishop Misago, a Hutu, was arrested in April 1999 and charged with helping to plan Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
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LET POLITICIANS NOT HIJACK CONSTITUTION FROM KENYAN PEOPLE
BY FR GEORGE L. OKOTH NYAGOWA
MIDDLE EAST
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010
What is taking place in our beloved country “Kenya” is a real threat to the “soul of our nation.” In my personal view, I think that democratic constitution making must have the potential of durably empowering ordinary citizens. But now, what is taking place today in the political and religious circles shows how this potential might be brought to its demise.
Our Kenyan politician’s motives always seem to be selfish pursuit of personal enrichment and aggrandizement. There is a contradiction between the deepest aspirations of the majority of Kenyans and the narrow class interests of our political leadership.
Kenyans must be concerned with the corruption of their politicians, and the selling of influence. The Constitution is the “birth certificate of a nation.” No matter the process, the democratic constitution making must be a people driven review process whose final product will be a people-owned constitution. It is liberty for citizens, not only for politicians. We should allow money to change so that we approve a flawed document.
By saying “Yes” to what you don’t understand, is the same as signing your name in the birth certificate of all your children but one. If you leave out your name in a birth certificate of any of your kids, that child might not have an inheritance from you.
Times like these call for visionary leadership and inspiration. We can’t avoid asking, “Where will that come from?” Who will provide it?” A new Council of elders? A new prophet? A grass roots revolution? The answer may well determine the shape of our nation—and even its size—for the next generation or more.
In Christian tradition, prudence is one of the cardinal virtues. Moreover prudence has a kind of “empire” over the other virtues, since prudence enables people to judge how to apply the other virtues in any concrete situation. This means that “being right” on an issue is not always enough. Sometimes, even when you're right, prudence dictates that insisting on your position will do more harm than good.
In the recent past, the Christian Church in Kenya has not stood for prudence. It embarrassed, alienated, excluded and discouraged too many people. And so today, it may not enjoy the whole-hearted support of its followers. Even when it is right, its ability to lead has been hampered by its past lack of proper direction.
Now, the soul of our nation is at risk. It has not arrived suddenly; or without lots of warning. So why is it necessary to address the Constitution making like it came so suddenly, and with so little warning?
The answer is: because of imprudent leadership. The moral of the story: prudence is the key to effective pastoral leadership. Without it, being right becomes being self-righteous, and conviction becomes arrogance. Unfortunately, imprudence may be contagious.
Small wonder many Christians want to take control of their own parishes or churches—not because they believe they could do better than their pastors, but because they are convinced no one could do worse.
Of course, as long as the Church retains it hierarchical structure, running it will not be the laity’s job. But the truth is, most Christians are not demanding to do the hierarchy’s job, they are demanding that the hierarchy do the hierarchy's job, and do it well. They expect better leadership than the denial, institutional neglect, emergency solutions to long-standing problems, bad timing, and massive insensitivity to people’s feelings and needs that they have been getting. They expect eldership that knows prudence is a virtue, and is willing to practice it once in a while. This is not only something Christians expect. It is also something they deserve.
So where is our Future? The fork in the road we are approaching gives us three choices: 1. Do we struggle to maintain a “Christian Kenya”? 2. Do we concede our nation to a secular model? 3. Do we embrace a multi-religious future?
Maintaining a “Christian Kenya” is, in my opinion, a futile option. The Constitutional time-bomb makes it inevitable that, as our society becomes more religiously diverse, legal challenges to public support for Christian institutions will grow. Christianity must be one religion among many other equally protected religions.
In today’s Kenya, we should not even fear a secular takeover of our culture. The rest of us are beginning to realize that the real threat is not the disappearance of religion but the rise of religious fanaticism and extremism. In my view, it is time we recognize that our biggest enemies are not secular humanists but people who are bent on dictating our conformity to a fraudulent, invented version of whatever religion they claim to represent.
The “other religions” of Kenya—Buddhism, Islam Hinduism, etc—are also natural allies for the future. We better realize a basic truth before it is too late: resisting the influx of legitimate religions only encourages people to resort to more extremist versions. This means that insisting on one religion’s privileged status is the surest way to promote extremism. The surest way to prevent extremism here is to embrace all real mainstream religions. It is folly for us to either to ignore this future or to deliver it into the hands of extremists.
The fork in our destiny’s road is just ahead. We must all learn to cherish Kenya’s Christian roots while embracing its inter-faith future—it is the only future that has a future. Why not treat them as allies fighting together to ensure a future where the values we share –like freedom—are honored?
In my view, a nation where all religions could live together in civic harmony, no religion should have a privileged status. I therefore oppose the inclusion of Kadhi or Christian courts in the Constitution.
We as Kenyans must remember that simple answers to complex questions seldom work for long.
Rev. Fr. George L. Okoth Nyagowa is a Kenyan priest working for USA Military Chaplain in Middle East
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RWANDA GENOCIDE- WHO IS FOOLING WHO?
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010
Kigali Catholic Archbishop Thaddée Nthinyurwa in a recent written response to questions by National Public Radio (NPR) said that no Rwandan clergy were involved in the genocide and for that reason there is no apology from the Catholic Church for its alleged role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The archbishop is denying the allegation at the time an international court is trying several Catholic priests for their alleged role in the massacres, in which Hutus murdered 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
He is
defending the church at the time the Vatican
has also come under renewed pressure to purge its ranks of suspected killers
after a second Rwandan Catholic priest accused of involvement in the 1994
genocide was found to be working in Italy under an assumed name.
An international arrest warrant is being prepared by Rwanda
for Father Emmanuel Uwayezu following the discovery that he is working in a
parish at Empoli, near Florence.
It will accuse him of direct complicity in the massacre of more than 80 students,
aged from 12 to 20, at a Catholic school where he was headmaster.
One of the women survivors who lives in Britain and still has nightmares
and is too afraid to be identified by name identified Uwayezu and described how
he brought soldiers to the school at Kibeho and conspired with them to have the
Tutsi students killed. Uwayezu has denied taking part in the genocide.
According to the New York Times (February 27, 2009) however, clergy members were both perpetrators and victims of the 1994 genocide. Ten priests, two bishops and the archbishop of Kigali were held captive and killed by Tutsi rebel soldiers, now part of the Rwandan Army. Since then members of the Tutsi military have not been prosecuted by the court.
It is against the background that the Catholic Church bore grave responsibility for contributing to the culture that fermented the genocide. Hundreds of Catholic priests and nuns and some bishops personally took part in the genocide – indeed led the genocide in many areas.
Fleeing Tutsis, including women and children, crowded into churches, believing they would have sanctuary there, and were encouraged in that belief by priests, who then turned on them and, along with the Hutu militia, slaughtered them in the sanctuaries and pews.
A U.N. court trying leaders of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide has also proved that clergy took part in genocide by jailing a former Catholic priest for 15 years last year for ordering bulldozers to level a church, sparking the death of 2,000 people hiding inside.
Although Father Athanase Seromba who is the first Catholic priest to face judgment at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania had denied the charges, including genocide and crimes against humanity, the tribunal heard him ordered the destruction of a church where more than 2,000 minority ethnic Tutsis were hiding from machete-wielding gangs of ethnic Hutu militia.
Even though the Vatican accepts there are individuals in the church, who committed crimes, including two nuns who were also found guilty of taking part in the genocide in a Belgian court in 2001, controversially, it says the Church as an institution cannot be held to blame.
In March 1996, Pope John Paul II was quoted to have told the Rwandan people, “The Church... cannot be held responsible for the guilt of its members that have acted against the evangelic law; they will be called to render account of their own actions. All Church members that have sinned during the genocide must have the courage to assume the consequences of their deeds they have done against God and fellow men.”
Human right activists in Rwanda however demand that the Pope should apologize to Rwandese since the Catholic Church failed in its moral duty to condemn or guide leaders and populations in curbing genocidal tendencies. The Church, by virtue of its proclaimed aim of spiritual guidance, they say ought to have played a more significant role in the prevention of crimes against humanity and genocide.
This is not the first time the church has come under attack for being irresponsible. Pope Pius XII had also been criticized for failing to prevent genocide during World War II. Many contend that as the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church during this tumultuous period, he had a moral obligation to adopt strong public positions and explicitly condemn the events unfolding in Europe.
Critics argue that such public statements would have unhinged support for the Nazis among Germany's large and influential Catholic population; in this sense the pontiff might have undermined the Nazi campaign for the genocide of the Jews.
Human
right activists are demanding an apology at the time when eleven Maltese men
who claim to have been sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests in the 1970s
have demanded a personal apology from the Pope when he visits the Mediterranean
island on the weekend.
The Pope himself has personally come under fire for allegedly ignoring abuse
cases and protecting pedophile priests from prosecution. He has apologized
before for sexual abuse scandals, most notably when meeting with victims in the
United States in 2008 and
recent one in Ireland.
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WHAT WAHOME WOULD TELL PEOPLE WHO REJECT DRAFT CONSTITUTION
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010
If the late humorous columnists Wahome Mutahi would come back from the world where people go when they become past of tense, he would definitely prefer to go back when he finds out that there are some Kenyans who reject the proposed draft constitution.
He would hang the phone up when he will hear those who opposed to the draft going all over telling their followers to reject it. He would hand them over to Field Marshall Kimathi Son of Waciuri, born and brought up in Karunaini on the Slopes of Mount Kenya how he went to the world where people who have been made past tense go.
Wahome would also hand over the phone to one of the people who are opposed to the draft if he doubts that he was talking to JM Kariuki who is pleading with him to accept the draft since other amendments would be made later.
Wahome would tell him that if you have forgotten the man talking to you, he used to be an MP and then one-day, his body was found in Ngong Forest. He was inhumanly killed that even hyenas did not find him appetising. JM Kariuki would then hand the phone to Dr Robert Ouko who will tell them to consider changing their minds for the sake of poor Kenyans who are the majority and suffer great deal due to this current constitution.
With God’s heart these people will have a moment's silence when they could hear another voice pleading with them saying "Hello, Jaduong! This is Bob Ouko. Idhi Maber Wuod Soil? Sibour! Definitely with God’s heart these people will not believe the one talking to them he was truly the voice of Robert Ouko if they recall how he was killed.
These well of Kenyans who are opposed to the draft will then answer, "Mr
Minister," we though "You have been in the news ever since because
you shot yourself in the head, broke your own legs and then set yourself on
fire at Got Alila. How come you are now telling us that it is due to this
current constitution you were made past tense?
He would then tell them, “I was just a simple Minister who kept chicken
and drank porridge made by Mama Selina. By the way, how is she? What about my
good friend Hezekiah Oyugi, police boss Philip Kilonzo and the rest of the team
who knew how I was inhumanly killed?
Ouko would tell them, "Son of the Soil, don’t reject this katiba since it would bar corrupt
politicians who to exploit the poor and innocent Kenyans. It would mean that
people who speak on their behalf would not end up in this world where past
tense go- place which is not even the size of the slopes of Mt Kenya
or Sacho- the soil of Koibatek- This is huge place where people are living
kilometres and kilometres away.
If these past tense people would have network they would tell these people who are opposed to the constitution to talk to people who know how "Daniel...arap....Moi..and Jomo Kenyatta son of Muigai used current constitution to torture their rivals. They would then hand over the phone to Tom Mboya who would tell them more how Jomo made him past tense.
Ignorant Kenyans who have forgotten about history would ask them “who are
the other people made past tense through current constitution? This time it
would be Kimathi who would reply instantly "Gama Pinto, JM Kariuki, Kungu
Karumba, Robert Ouko and quite a number of people from Molo, Likoni, Laikipia,
Enoosupikia and Migori”, including those who were made past tense during
ethnic cleansing instigated politically by Moi regime.
Wahome would be confused since he would not know whether these people trust the thief who wants a share of his neck or the policeman who has enough bullets to shoot stray ones, but which all the same hit where it matters.
These people would prefer this current constitution to enable them continue to become the owners of a good supply of Pattnis to keep them out of poverty for many years. It explains why even the man from Torino called Father Camissassius would not manage to fight the devil of corruption and assassinations in the country.
That is also why Loli Koro, a white man with a peeling nose living up the slopes would also not listen to Father Camissassius when he tells him to stop exploiting his workers and stop grabbing their land.
As Whome writes Loli Koro came all the way from the land of King George the Fifth, and his mission was not, to eat the arrow roots, sweet potatoes and other tubers that grow in the slopes. He came because he had heard that the slopes of Mount Kenya was a land of milk and honey. That is why when he arrived there he declared that the first 500 acres that he set his eye on were his.
The man had never milked cows or held a jembe where he came from, but that was not going to stop him from owning cows and maize from the land that he had taken from uncle Jethro. Instead Uncle Jethro found himself working for him not because he was a fool but because he could not do otherwise even though he knew very well that this could make poverty make itself a permanent visitor in his house.
Some of these corrupt politicians know very well they will go to bunge even if they are not elected because they will give out ka-fifty bob to buy their way there. That is why they are not bothered even if you will not see them until another time he wants to buy you to take him back to bunge.
They like bunge because when they are there they are able to carry a whole one million bob in the boot of their cars and then call that petty cash. It is so little petty cash that when their wallets dry up, they dispatch their drivers to go the boot to refill the wallet.
That is why when they say ‘No’ to this katiba a poor Kenyan curses his mother Appep to have brought him into this world. She should have given birth to him when the man he was named after, the one and only son of Nyaituga was brought forth. Those were the days when men did not have to worry about tomorrow.
Given that these politicians have robbed money from the people and can no more support their families, this has led to many husbands to become irresponsible to their families. They can no longer support their families that is why they drink always to kill the stress like this drunk man in this carton who come home so drunk.
Nothing his wife can do but to turn to God for consolation. She is seen in this cartoon in full volume pleading with ‘God of Abraham and God of Isaac, God of Noah and God of Abednego to look upon this house which has been abandoned by the man he gave her. “Lord God, even as we starve, we thank you for life, ’’ she concludes.
The following night she will continue praying:” Give us sugar, God, if nothing else. Give us half of a quarter of real meat, oh God! Give us even half a tomato for those are the little things of life we don’t get in our house though Lord God, you gave us a husband and a father who is now groaning in this bed now.
The idea of course is not to ask God for sugar, meat and onions. The idea is to tell her neighbours that when husbands are finally counted, she will never be among them. It is to tell the world that she made a mistake to have a coalition with him, in the first instance.
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CATHOLIC BISHOPS ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010
The statement by the Kenya Episcopal Conference (KEC) meeting in Nakuru issued on April 16, 2010 is not opposed to draft constitution. They only need some changes on the abortion and Kadhi’s courts. Below is the Bishops statement on which they are proposing the changes:
“We are all aware that a
Referendum on the Proposed Constitution for Kenya will take place later in
2010. As Bishops of the Catholic Church in Kenya, we are supportive of a new
Constitutional Order for our country and have worked long and hard to bring the
process to its present state. We encourage all of you to prepare carefully for
this important event by first of all registering, and then on Referendum day,
to go out and vote.”
It is our duty, as moral leaders and shepherds of the Catholic Church in Kenya,
to present for your reflection certain, serious problems connected with Article
26 (paragraph 4) of the Proposed Constitution. In order to refresh your
memories, this article states:
If this article is maintained in the Proposed Constitution as it is, we will be
compelled based on moral grounds to advise the people of Kenya to vote
NO.
To begin with, let us be clear on one point. The Catholic Church has always
recognised the “emergency” situation when the life of the mother is
in danger. The mother has a right to treatment in life-threatening situations.
But we have always recognised that both the mother and the unborn child have an
equal, personal right to life.
This is already recognised in the Kenya Penal Code. The physician must do all
in his/her power to save the lives of both mother and child. The doctor, by
his/her Hypocratic Oath, is bound to save and protect life. The State must
expressly state in its Law to respect, defend and vindicate the rights of both
mother and child.
But then, in extending the right of abortion to include a threat to the health
of the pregnant woman, the article is opening the doors to “abortion on
demand”. Those of us who live close to the people know that very many
women suffer from ill-health in Kenya.
There are many endemic diseases throughout this country. Most of them are
preventable and treatable.
Is a danger to the health of the mother a sufficient reason to abort a child in
the womb? Is the stress which a young schoolgirl undergoes on discovering that
she is pregnant a sufficient threat to her health, so that she can demand and
obtain an abortion? Further, on the other side of the economic scale,
there are elitist groups who demand that abortion be legalised on spurious
health grounds, such as “psychological damage to the ego”, body
image or even the need to be accepted among one’s peers. All these
are social problems – needing various social responses. They should not
be addressed as medical - needing medical solutions.
Where there is a danger to the health of the mother is when she has procured an
abortion. There are many “trained health professionals” who vouch
for the fact that the guilt or trauma known as “post abortion
syndrome” is a factor that can damage a woman’s emotional life.
This is a result of aborting the child – an act that cannot be reversed.
There is another point in Article 26 (paragraph 4) which is not clear. What
does it mean by “a trained health professional”? Is it a medical
doctor, a clinical officer, a nurse, a mid-wife, a patient attendant or a
Traditional Birth Attendant? All are “trained health
professionals”. In any law – and particularly in the fundamental
law being proposed for a country – the people have a right to precision
before being asked to commit themselves to something.
A final
ambiguity with Article 26 (paragraph 4) is the phrase “any other written
law”. The Constitution is the supreme
law of the land. Are we satisfied with assurances or even MOUs that
“changes can take place after the Referendum”? Are we
prepared to allow Parliament or a majority of counties to pass other laws on
issues of life and death? What is “a majority” in Parliament or of
counties – referred to in Article 257 (vii) and (viii)? Do we want
another Referendum in the near future? (Article 257 (x)? Can we
financially afford this? Do we wish to spend time and money in seeking
interpretations from the Judiciary?
“Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent
human being, whether foetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person
or one suffering from an incurable disease or a person who is dying”.
(Compendium of the Social Teaching of the Church No. 108).
“We are called upon to do as much as we can to defend the lives of unborn
children, who cannot of their nature, defend themselves….Once abortion is
sanctioned by parliament and the law, it becomes “OK” in the minds
of many, and as a result a society loses its respect for the value of human
life. Such a society is not a good society: the practice of abortion has a
morally corrosive effect”. (A Catholic Catechism No. 332).
Proposals
1. That the Clause 26 (4) be removed from the Draft
Constitution.
Reasons
There is insufficient time to achieve consensus and clarify all the issues in a
calm, reasoned and unemotional manner.
There is insufficient time for a proper civic education on such grave, moral
issues that affect life and death.
The present government of Kenya
is made up of a Grand Coalition, which itself, is an extraordinary situation.
All parties and interests are represented in it. This moral issue in Article 26
(paragraph 4) is not a political party issue.
We believe that an executive order by the President, with the agreement of the Prime Minister, can delete Article 26 (paragraph 4) and bring the country forward.
The President has stated on at least two public occasions that abortion would
not be allowed in any proposed Constitution for Kenya.
The responsibility is now squarely in the hands of the “Two
Principals” – President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila
Odinga.
That all Catholics will hold a Prayer Day in Defence of Human Life. The date,
manner and content for this Prayer Day will be communicated at a later date.
Now we turn to Articles 169, 170 and 172(a). The Question of the Kadhi
courts has been linked by commentators to our views on Article 26. There is no
such link.
In brief, the articles establish Kadhi Courts as part of our judiciary. In so
doing they give a special treatment, to a section of the population that
professes the Muslim religion. These courts would then be funded by the state.
The debate on Kadhi courts has been widely misunderstood and has created a lot
of unnecessary suspicion amongst Kenyans on the basis of religion. It is not a
Christians versus Muslims affair. It is simply about equality of all before the
state. Here we are stating an anomaly that is in the current constitution and
still maintained in the proposed constitution.
It is a question of Justice, not to give privileges to certain Kenyans (as
opposed to others) because of their religion, race or tribe. That is the
beginning of discrimination - more so if the issue refers to a religious group.
What we are stating is that there is no equity. This right is only reserved to
those professing one faith.
Justice calls that the Constitution provides similar rights to other religious
groups. This could be regulated by Acts of Parliament. All the Christian
churches, Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism etc. which have legitimate concerns,
fears or expectations, should rectify and consolidate these through Acts of Parliament.
All are equal before the supreme law
of the land and therefore need to be granted equal opportunity to enjoy all the
liberties accorded to others.
In allowing certain groups, whether religious, tribal, geographic or otherwise
to negotiate special privileges that will be enshrined in the constitution,
then we shall be going against the very fundamental principle that we are all
equal. We believe a solution can be found to provide for the equity that
justice calls for and requires.
Let all religions be treated equally as provided for in the very Proposed
Constitution. “There shall be no state religion” (Article 8).
In conclusion, our dear brothers and sisters, we assure you that we are praying
with you and for you as we discern the best way forward for Kenya. As your shepherds, we have
tried to put forward on many occasions to all forms of committees, groups,
commissions and individuals, the legitimate concerns which we have in our
hearts concerning these two Articles of the Proposed Constitution.
Our
patriotism and commitment, and that of the estimated Catholic population of one
third of the people of this land (who are drawn from all parts of Kenya)
have never been in doubt. The contribution of the Catholic Church to the
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and developmental aspects of all over
the past one hundred years is a matter of public record.
We assure you and the people of Kenya
that this commitment will continue.
May the Lord strengthen all of us.
Signed
His Eminence John Cardinal Njue
Archbishop of Nairobi
-Apostolic Administrator of Ngong
Chairman, Kenya Episcopal Conference
Rt. Rev. Philip
Sulumeti
Kakamega
Most Rev. Zacchaeus
Okoth
Kisumu
Most Rev. Boniface
Lele
Mombasa
Most Rev. Peter
Kairo
Nyeri
Rt. Rev. Paul
Darmanin
Garissa
- Apostolic
Administrator
Malindi
Rt. Rev. Cornelius K. Arap
Korir
Eldoret
Rt. Rev. Joseph Mairura
Okemwa
Kisii
Rt. Rev. Philip
Anyolo
Homa Bay
Rt. Rev. Alfred
Rotich
Military Ordinariate
Rt. Rev. Maurice
Crowley
Kitale
Rt. Rev. Norman King’oo
Wambua
Bungoma
Rt. Rev. Peter Kihara,
IMC
Marsabit
Rt. Rev. David Kamau Ng’ang’a- Aux.
Bishop Nairobi
Rt. Rev. Anthony Ireri Mukobo,
IMC
Isiolo Vicariate
Rt. Rev. Patrick
Harrington
Lodwar
Rt. Rev. Virgilio
Pante
Maralal
Rt. Rev. Salesius
Mugambi
Meru
Rt. Rev. Luigi Paiaro
Nyahururu
Rt. Rev. Emmanuel
Okombo
Kericho
Rt. Rev. Martin Kivuva
Musonde
Machakos
Rt. Rev. Anthony
Muheria
Kitui
Rt. Rev. James Maria
Wainaina
Muranga
Rt. Rev. Paul Kariuki
Njiru
Embu
Rt. Rev. Maurice Muhatia
Makumba
Nakuru
Rt. Rev. Dominic Kimengich – Aux. Bishop
Elect Lodwar
According to Sr Venatus Munee of Youth alive and Human life International Kenya in their previous statement want the provisions be changed as follows:
We hereunder advance legal, scientific and researched arguments for:
RETAINING in the proposed constitution article 26 (2) “the life of a Person Begins at Conception” and,
DELETING from the proposed constitution the article “26(4) Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law.” And,
REPLACING it with “ 26 (4) Termination of Pregnancy is not permitted, but expectant mothers are entitled to emergency medical treatment in life threatening conditions.” (the Hon. BETH MUGO AMENDMENT)
The statement: “life of a Person Begins at Conception” should be retained because:
The current Constitution, Penal Code and Criminal procedure code bear a lacuna that makes this provision relevant. While these laws are generally protective of life, prosecution has often selectively used them and the judiciary has often played along. In 2004, Lady Justice Rawal acquitted Dr. Nyamu on the ground that the unborn children were according to Section 214 of the penal incapable of being killed.
This was partly because prosecution had chosen to charge Dr. Nyamu for murder (S.203 of penal code) and not the procuring of abortion (158 to 160 of the penal code) probably knowing he could get away with it. The judge also ignored the provisions of the criminal procedure code that required her to find the accused guilty of killing the unborn even though he had not been charged with it (181(2) of the Criminal procedure code) Republic-vs-Dr. John Nyamu & 2 Others Nairobi H.C.Cr. No. 81 of 2004.
This is a basic and known fact that is proven by science. In the whole debate about abortion and in the entire scientific world nobody has been able to dare state or prove the contrary. Some members of the Kenya Obsterical and Gynaecological Society (KOGS) through their chairman have clamored for the removal of this clause. We challenge them and any other scientist worth his/her salt to stand up to Kenyans in this constitution making process and explain whence else human life begins.
Public misinformation perpetuated by medical professionals as regards the morning after pill (RU486 or mifepristone/misoprostal), IUDs (the coil) and other abortificient birth control methods is finally being exposed by this debate. The truth is that most Kenyan women would not want to use a birth control method that acts by killing their offspring but many are led to believe that these methods are harmless. In the USA RU486 is an FDA approved drug for Medical Abortion (as an alternative to surgical abortion). But with the proposed law scientists will have to account to the public for the mechanism of action of such drugs and of other procedures such as in vitro fertilization that result in wastage of many embryos without any regard to the fact that Human Lives are being lost.
As regards ectopic pregnancy, miscarriages or other complications of pregnancy, the proposed law will not lead to any sticky situations for any well meaning medical practitioner of sound ethical principles. It is has always been understood that an intervention directly targeted toward the health of the mother but which has an indirect/unintended ill effect on the unborn baby raises an ethical not a criminal issue. This is the principle of double effect and it applies in the case of say a ruptured ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage where the life of the mother is at risk because of the consequent bleeding. The doctor’s action of containing the bleeding has an indirect effect of evacuating the unborn baby who has often already passed away by the time the intervention is carried out.
By letting go of this clause we shall eventually usher into the Kenyan economy a most lucrative but destructive industry- the abortion industry. This will erode our human capital as a nation. In North America more than 46 Million babies have been surgically aborted since the land mark Roe vs Wade (22-1-1973) Supreme Court ruling that legalized the practice in that country while an estimated 1.4Billion babies worldwide have lost their lives to the same procedure in the same period. Russia currently has a higher abortion rate than birth rate. Kenya surely does not want to start down this road. We value our people.
Defining this fact in the constitution will safeguard the rights of all and curb certain injustices such as abortion; experience in countries where abortion has been legalized shows great physical harm resulting in women.
Article 26(4) should be deleted given that it contains exceptions to the prohibition of Abortions that have the effect of open the floodgates of abortion on demand. This is evident from the lowering of the rank of the professional in whose opinion the said procedure may be carried out i.e “trained health professional” which may include any caliber of training as opposed to say “a medical board”.
Abortion has also been found to cause untold psychological trauma to all its promoters especially women; in China female gendercide is rampant due to the one child policy. As a result suicide, through the drinking of agricultural chemicals, has become the commonest cause of death among Chinese rural women aged 16 to 34 who cannot live with the knowledge that they have aborted or killed their baby daughters.
In the light of these grave consequences our law makers shall be ill advised to enact provisions that could lead to the destruction of our beloved nation especially by targeting the most vulnerable of our society namely the unborn and their dearest care givers and backbone of our society that is our sisters, wives and mothers.
Human Life International Kenya
NAIROBI OFFICE: in Family Life Counseling Association of Kenya House P.O. Box 416 Nairobi – 00100 Kenya Landline: +254-20-55-911 EMAIL:hlik...@gmail.com
NYERI OFFICE : P.O. Box 311 Nyeri – 10100 Kenya Landline: +254-61-20-30-627 Mobile: +254-722-820-464
Fax: +254-61-20-30-435
Webpage: www.hlikenya.org
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People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional
News 
REVISED HARMONIZED DRAFT AND CONTENTIOUS CHAPTERS
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010
Abortion
Chapter Four- Bill of Rights
Part 2 –Rights and fundamental freedoms
Right to life
25. (1) Every person has the right to life.
(2) The life of a person begins at conception.
(3) No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally save as may be authorised by this Constitution or any other written law.
(4) Abortion is not permitted unless in the opinion of a registered medical practitioner, the life of the mother is in danger.
Kadhi’s court
Chapter Ten- Judiciary
Part 3—Subordinate courts
Subordinate courts
160. (1) The subordinate courts are—the Magistrates courts; the Kadhis’ courts; the Courts Martial; and any other court or local tribunal as may be established by an Act of Parliament.
(2) Parliament shall by legislation confer jurisdiction, powers and functions on the courts established under clause (1).
Kadhis’ Courts
161. (1) There shall be a Chief Kadhi and such number, not being fewer than three, of other Kadhis as may be prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament.
(2) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed to hold or act in the office of Kadhi unless the person—professes the Muslim religion; and possesses such knowledge of the Muslim law applicable to any sects of Muslims as qualifies that person, in the opinion of the Judicial Service Commission, to hold a Kadhi’s court.
(3) Without prejudice to Article 160, there shall be such subordinate courts held by Kadhis as Parliament may establish and each Kadhi’s court shall, subject to this Constitution, have such jurisdiction and powers as may be conferred on it by law.
(4) The
Chief Kadhi and the other Kadhis, or the Chief Kadhi and such of the other
Kadhis (not being fewer than three in number) as may be prescribed by or under
an Act of Parliament, shall each be empowered to hold a Kadhi’s court
having jurisdiction within Kenya.
(5) The jurisdiction of a Kadhi’s court shall be limited to the determination of questions of Muslim law relating to personal status, marriage, divorce or inheritance in proceedings in which all the parties profess the Muslim religion and submit to the jurisdiction of the Kadhi’s courts.
Land
Chapter Five
Part 1—Land
Principles of land policy
52. (1) Land in Kenya shall be held, used and managed in a manner which is equitable, efficient, productive and sustainable in accordance with the following principles—equitable access to land; security of land rights; sustainable and productive management of land resources; transparent and cost effective administration of land; sound conservation and protection of ecologically sensitive areas; elimination of gender discrimination in laws, regulations, customs and practices related to land and property in land; and encouragement of communities to settle land disputes through recognized local community initiatives consistent with this Constitution.
Classification of land
53. (1) All land in Kenya belongs to the people of Kenya collectively as a nation, as communities and as individuals.
(2) Land in Kenya is classified as public, community or private.
Public land
54. (1) Public land is—land which at the effective date was unalienated government land as defined by an Act of Parliament in force at the effective date; land lawfully held, used or occupied by any State organ, except where such land is occupied under a private lease; land transferred to the State by way of reversion or surrender; land in respect of which no individual or community ownership can by any legal process be established; land in respect of which no heir can by ordinary legal process be identified; all minerals and mineral oils as defined by law; government forests other than forests to which Article 55(2)(e) applies, game reserves, water catchments areas, national parks, animal sanctuaries, and specially protected areas; all roads and thoroughfares specified by an Act of Parliament; all rivers, lakes and other areas of water as defined by an Act of Parliament; the territorial sea and its sea bed; all land between the high and low water mark; any land not classified as private or community land under this Constitution; and any other land declared to be public land by an Act of Parliament.
(2) Public land, classified under clause (1)(a) to (e) shall vest in and be held by the county government in trust for the people resident in the county and shall be administered on their behalf by the National Land Commission.
(3) Public land classified under clause (1)(f) to (m) shall vest in and be held by the national government in trust for the people of Kenya and shall be administered on their behalf by the National Land Commission.
(4) Public land shall not be disposed of or otherwise used except in terms of an Act of Parliament specifying the nature and terms of that disposal or use.
Community land
55. (1) Community land shall vest in and be held by communities identified on the basis of ethnicity, culture or community of interest.
(2) For the purposes of clause (1) community land includes—all land lawfully held in trust by the county governments; land lawfully registered in the name of group representatives under the provisions of any law; land lawfully held, managed or used by specific communities as community forests, grazing areas or shrines; land lawfully transferred to a specific community by any process of law; lands traditionally occupied by hunter-gatherer communities; and any other land declared to be community land by an Act of Parliament, but shall not include public land as defined in Article 54.
(3) Any unregistered community land shall be held in trust by county governments on behalf of the communities.
(4) Community land shall not be disposed of or otherwise used except in terms of legislation specifying the nature and extent of the rights of members of each community individually and collectively.
(5) Parliament shall enact legislation to give effect to this Article.
Private land
56. Private land includes—registered land held by any person under freehold tenure; land held by any person under leasehold tenure; and any other land declared private land by or under an Act of Parliament.
Landholding by non-citizens
57. (1) A person who is not a citizen may hold land on the basis of leasehold tenure only, and such a lease however granted, shall not exceed ninety-nine years.
(2) An agreement, deed or conveyance of whatever nature which confers on a person who is not a citizen an interest in land greater than a ninety-nine year lease, is void.
(3) For purposes of this Article, a company or a body corporate is a citizen only if it is fully owned by citizens.
(4) Parliament may enact legislation to make further provision for the operation of the provisions of this Article.
Regulation of land use and property
58. (1) The State has the power to regulate the use of any land, interest or right in land in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, land use planning or the development or utilization of property.
(2) Parliament shall enact legislation ensuring that investments in property benefit local communities and their economies.
National Land Commission
59. (1) There is established the National Land Commission.
(2) The functions of the National Land Commission are to—manage public land on behalf of the national and county governments; perform such other function in relation to land as Parliament may by legislation prescribe.
Legislation on land
60. (1) Parliament shall enact legislation to give full effect to the provisions of this Part.
Devolved Government
Chapter Eleven
Part 1—Objects and principles of devolved government
Objects of devolution
165. The objects of the devolution of government are to—promote democratic and accountable exercise of power; foster national unity while recognizing diversity; enhance the participation of the people in making decisions affecting them; recognize the right of communities to manage their own local affairs and to further their development; protect and promote the interests and rights of minorities and marginalized groups; promote social and economic development and the provision of proximate, easily-accessed services throughout Kenya; ensure equitable sharing of national and local resources throughout Kenya.
Principles of devolved government
166. County governments established by this Constitution reflect the following principles county governments shall be based on democratic principles and the separation of powers county governments shall have reliable sources of revenue and to enable them to govern and deliver services effectively; and no more than two thirds of the members of representative bodies in each county government shall be of the same gender.
Part 2—County governments
167. (1) There shall be a county government for each county, consisting of a county assembly and a county executive.
(2) Every county government shall decentralize its functions and the provision of its services to the extent that it is efficient and practicable to do so.
(3) Despite the provisions of this Chapter, the counties in the Nairobi City shall not perform any other function, nor exercise any power, of a county government except as is provided in an Act of Parliament.
Election of County Governor and Deputy County Governor
171. (1) The county governor and deputy county governor shall each be elected by the county assembly from among the members of the assembly.
(2) The candidate at an election under clause (1) who receives more than half of all the votes cast in the election shall be declared elected.
(3) If no candidate is elected, a second ballot shall be held and in that ballot, the only candidates shall be—the candidate, or the candidates, who received the greatest number of votes; and the candidate, or the candidates, who received the second greatest number of votes.
(4) Where more than one candidate receives the greatest number of votes, clause (3)(b) shall not apply and the only candidates in the fresh ballot shall be those contemplated in clause (3)(a).
(5) The candidate who receives the greater number or the greatest number of votes, as the case may be, in the fresh ballot shall be declared elected.
(6) A county governor and a deputy county governor each hold office for a term of five years but each of them is eligible, if otherwise qualified, for re-election for one further and final term.
(7) For the purposes of clause (6), a person who has continuously served as county governor or deputy county governor for at least two and half years shall be deemed to have served a full term.
Election of mayor and deputy mayor of Nairobi
172. (1) The mayor and the deputy mayor of Nairobi shall each be elected by more than half of the votes cast by voters who meet the requirements relating to residence within the Nairobi City as prescribed by an Act of Parliament.
(2) The election of the mayor and deputy mayor shall be by universal suffrage.
(3) Subject to clause (1), an Act of Parliament shall prescribe the manner of election of the mayor and deputy mayor.
Functions of county executive committees
173. (1) A county executive committee shall—implement laws of the county assembly; implement, within the county, national legislation to the extent that the legislation so requires; and co-ordinate the functions of the county administration and its departments.
(2) Without in any way limiting any power of the assembly, a county executive committee may prepare and initiate proposed laws for enactment by the assembly.
(3) The county executive committee has such other powers and functions as may be conferred on it by this Constitution or by national legislation.
(4) The county executive committee shall provide the county assembly with full and regular reports concerning the matters under the control of the county.
Part 3—Powers and functions of county governments
Powers and functions
176. (1) Except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, the powers and functions of the national government and the county governments are as set out in the Fourth Schedule.
(2) A function that is conferred on more than one level of government is a function within the concurrent jurisdiction of each of those levels of government.
(3) A function not assigned by this Constitution or by legislation to a county is a function of the national government.
Despite clause (1), and subject to this Constitution- the national government shall be responsible for general policy and regulation in respect of the matters set out in the Fourth Schedule;
Parliament is not precluded from legislating for the Republic on any matter.
Gender balance and diversity
187. (1) Not more than two-thirds of the members of any assembly constituted under this Chapter are to be of the same gender.
(2) Parliament shall by legislation ensure that community and cultural diversity in a county is reflected in legislative and executive bodies of the county.
(3) Without limiting the generality of clause (2), that legislation shall prescribe means to protect minorities within counties.
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People For Peace
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BISHOP GITARI AND KORIR HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY NO OR YES TO THE DRAFT
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010
Retired Anglican Archbishop David Gitari and Eldoret Catholic bishop Cornelius Korir like any other Kenyans have the right to say ‘No or ‘Yes’ to the draft constitution. While archbishop Gitari argues that the Church risks being defeated at the referendum if it maintains the "No" stand on the Proposed Constitution, Bishop Korir apart from abortion and Kadhi’s courts has expressed his personal view on the land and devolution issues.
In an interview by one of the local dailies over the weekend Bishop Korir when asked what he thinks the points of arguments by politicians in the ‘No’ camp are justified his answer was “absolutely”. This is because politicians have raised issues against land and devolution clauses.
He said dissenting voices on the draft should not be ignored because people choose how they want to be governed but not the leaders to choose how they want to govern them. That is why the politicians are only pushing for the interests of the people who have made their stand known on these clauses.
Only Members of Parliament from Kalenjin communities from North Rift where bishop Korir belongs are the ones who have rejected the draft because of land and devolution clauses. They include Agriculture Minister William Ruto, former president Daniel arap Moi, and his son who is also Kanu Vice-Chairman Gideon Moi and Secretary General Nick Salat, and former Health Minister Paul Sang.
Others include Charles Keter, Jackson Kiptanui, Jebii Kilimo, Julius Kones, Benjamin Lagat, Zakayo Cheruiyot, Isaac Ruto, Lucas Kigen, Sammy Mwaita, Peris Simam, Elijah Lagat, Fred Kapondi and Boaz Kaino.
Even though Roads Minister Franklin Bett, Assistant Minister Beatrice Kones, and Sotik MP Joyce Laboso have not declared their stand on the draft, ODM Chairman Henry Kosgey, Higher Education Minister Sally Kosgei, Assistant Minister Josephat Nanok, MPs Langat Magerer (Kipkelion), Julius Murgor (Kapenguria), Wilson Litole (Sigor) and Nominated MP Musa Sirma have teamed up for a ‘Yes’ vote.
Bishop Korir is not the first Catholic Bishop to express his personal views as a Kenyan. During 2005 referendum Kisumu Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth broke rank with other bishops to say ‘No’ to the draft constitution, thus joining Raila Odinga (Orange) to say ‘No’, while others joined Mwai Kibaki (banana) to say ‘Yes’.
One thing is very true about bishop Korir that when it comes to defend his community he does not shy off. It explains why he had also pleaded with the Government to treat Mau evictees fairly. He wanted the Government to seek alternative land and compensate families moved from the forest to enable them start life afresh.
"All Kenyans should be treated equally. The Government should not evict its people and abandon them by the roadside," Korir was quoted to have said. Kalenjins are the most affected by the Mau evictions. That explains why Ruto led a group of MPs from his Kalenjin communities to sympathize with the displaced families.
Prior to the interview Bishop Korir, Bishop Silas Yego of the African Inland Church, Bishop Thomas Kogo of the Anglican Church of Kenya, Eldoret Diocese, and Reverend Paul Leleito of the African Gospel Church, all from Kalenjin communities had expressed their personal views to oppose the draft.
Representatives of 30 churches in the South Rift led by Bishop Jackson ole Sabit of the Anglican Church, Kericho diocese, also vowed to mobilise their followers to reject the draft. Kalenjin Council of Elders have also been sucked into the debate and are urging the community to reject the draft if contentious clauses are not amended. Maj (ret) John Seii, the council chairman, led the officials in a meeting with MPs in Eldoret, when they raised issues of land and devolution as the ones informing their decision.
The retired Anglican archbishop David Gitari on his part has called on Kenyans to chose a "lesser evil rather than the greater evil" — according to him, the Proposed Constitution is by far preferable than the current supreme law.
As a Kenyan and a Christian he argues that saying ‘Yes’ to this constitution is evil. But saying "No" will be a greater evil, and had he to choose he said he would go for the lesser evil to vote for it.
He argues that this is not the first time the Church had made serious mistakes in the past. He gave the example of the trial of Galileo Galilei who went against the Church’s notion that the world was flat, only for the Church to accept years later that it was actually spherical and Pope John Paul II apologized on behalf of the Catholic Church.
Given that history has proved the Church wrong in various incidences, the archbishop says even the issue of abortion the Church should not be quick to pronounce judgment, especially where the lives of two are in danger. “Instead of letting both die we can save one," he argues.
Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala on the other hand has said that all the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) bishops are taking the debate to the grassroots this month and at the end of it they will be back with their findings, after which the church will give its directive. Personally archbishop Webukula has said he would rather vote ‘Yes’.
Former PCEA church leader Rev Timothy Njoya has also chosen to vote ‘Yes’, warning that the churches will never be forgiven if they succeed in denying Kenyans a new constitution, adding that Kenyans will hold the church squarely responsible if political related chaos were to erupt in the future as a result of lack of a sound constitution.
It is against the background that Mumias Anglican bishop Beneah Salala said that the church’s bishops would meet in Nairobi and agree on which direction to lead their flock, saying that the position of the church would be different from that expressed by the Catholic Church and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) on the proposed constitution.
“Our Archbishop, the Rev Eliud Wabukala, has asked us to weigh the popular stand our faithful are likely to take,” he was quoted to have said. The bishop who was addressing youth at Bomas Grounds in Mumias Town said the new draft had captured more important issues that would be good for the development of the country and areas “such as kadhi courts and abortion cannot deny Kenyans the opportunity to get the change they have desired for a long time.
Other churches that have declared they will support the draft include the Great Commissioned Holy Christ Church, commonly known as “Roho”, breaking ranks with mainstream churches under the National Council Churches of Kenya (NCCK).
While churches are divided Land Minister James Orengo during in an exclusive interview with Kass FM International Friday expressed confidence that the draft would sail through the referendum, calling for Kenyans to vote ‘Yes’ since it has already been passed by the August House. House Speaker Kenneth Marende has also supported it.
This is happening when Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta before being in dilemma due to his relationship with Wiliam Ruto on Kiukuyu-Kamba- Kalenjin (KKK) alliance had led four Central Kenya MPs in wooing the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) leaders to support the Proposed Constitution, against the backdrop of its rejection by many other clerics.
Accompanied by Assistant Ministers Mwangi Kiunjuri and Kabando wa Kabando, and MPs Martha Karua and Jeremiah Kioni, Uhuru urged the religious leaders to rally their flock to support the document. He was addressing PCEA clergymen at their ongoing General Assembly at Tumu Tumu. On her part, Ms Karua, addressing the congregation of the church moderators drawn from East Africa, supported the draft.
This was about the time Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka had asked parliamentarians to self their self-interest and ensure that the draft constitution is passed. But like Uhuru Kenyatta he is in dilemma whether to support it or reject it due to his close political tie with Ruto- Kalonzo is a member of tribal KKK alliance.
"There is no clause that the house cannot later amend and therefore we should pass this constitution and give Kenyans what they have been yearning for all this time" Mr. Musyoka was quoted to have told the public when he made a stop- over at Machakos town on his way to Ikalaasa market in Mwala constituency, for a thanksgiving ceremony on Monday.
Later on due to pressure from Ruto Uhuru has changed his mind by saying that the country would rather stay with the old constitution than drag Kenyans through a ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ debate similar to the 2005 referendum.
While President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Muslims led by the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims and some Church leaders have endorsed the draft, assistant minister Kareke Mbiuki has captured the feelings of the Ruto and Uhuru camps that the KKK alliance was finished.
According to Kareke this was merely a plot to create jimbos for certain people and to flush out certain communities. We said no and we have no apology to make to anyone for standing with our people," said Mbiuki, a confidant of Uhuru.
Kereke is backed by former MPs George Thuo ( former Juja MP), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Mithika Linturi (Igembe South), Mwangi Kiunjuri (Laikipia West), Nelson Gaichuhie (Subukia), Joseph Kiuna (Molo), Simon Mbugua (Kamukunji), and Dick Wathika (Makadara) among others when they walked out from Parliament in protest.
Even though Tourism Minister, Mr. Najib Balala is a sympathiser of KKK, and for
that matter with Ruto, the fact that Kadhi’s courts is one of the
contentious issues brought by some churches, he has decided openly to support
his fellow Muslims to ensure this draft is passed- this brings us to the big
question-will Ruto manage to sail through?
Some Kenyans opposed to the views of some church leaders on rejecting the constitutions challenge them that it would have been equally correct if they spoke out when Kenyans were being terrorised by terrorist Arturs, when they was being milked dry by Anglo-fleecing, when insecurity became a national pride, when mothers were denied easy access to medicine through the rejection of the Health Insurance Bill, when the money intended to help these poor women had been stolen.
They also ask where they were when Kenyans were being deported to other
countries in contravention of every known human consideration, when animosity
was being fanned through skewed distribution of resources, when Kenyans living
in North Eastern Province
and Ukambani died of hunger because of lack of water. They had not also spoken
where 4 million for water projects in Ukambani went.
These Kenyans are also challenging some of these church leaders why they never spoke when 40 DCs out of 79 DCs were appointed from one region, 3 PCs out of 8 also from the same region, also Finance Minister, his assistant and Permanent Secretary and all financial bodies, especially at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) from the same region.
Probably it is one of the reasons Agriculture Minister, Mr Willam Ruto is advocating for majimboism (Federal system) so that appointments and distribution to the national resources could be distributed equally.
While all these are taking place, Christians in Nepal are praying that the country’s new constitution will be secularist in nature and be completed ahead of a May 28, 2010 deadline.
Special prayers for “peace and stability” were offered by the apostolic vicar of Nepal, Bishop Anthony Sharma, as he concelebrated with over three dozen priests to bless “holy oil jars” at a Chrism Mass in Kathmandu’s Assumption Church on March 22 according to UCA News reports.
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THE MYTH OF LAND AND DEVOLVED GORVERMENT CLAUSES
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010
While it is true that political marginalization has existed amongst smaller ethnic communities in Kenya for decades, one wonders why Agriculture Minister and Member of Parliament for Eldoret North, Mr Wiliam Ruto and his counterpart Chelungu MP Isaac Ruto think this problem is only affecting their Kalenjin communities.
According to Isaac Ruto he wants legislation of land clauses that prescribe minimum and maximum land holding amended, arguing that these clauses as they are they set the stage for taking over land that belongs to people.
Contrary to what he says however, classification of land article 53- (1) states that all land in Kenya belongs to the people of Kenya collectively as a nation, as communities and as individuals. (2) Land in Kenya is classified as public, community or private.
Jebii Kilimo on the other hand wants clauses on land commission be amended, arguing that the way it stands now it gives commission power to grab land from people who don't have title deeds.
Article 59- (1) however, states that there is established the National Land Commission.
(2) The functions of the National Land Commission are to—manage public land on behalf of the national and county governments; perform such other function in relation to land as Parliament may by legislation prescribe.
Isaac Ruto also wants the clause on the functions of National Land Commission be deleted. He wants it reads as: "Parliament shall enact legislation to provide for the functions of the National Land Commission.” He has however, withdrawn his former stand on Land holding by non-citizens which he wanted be deleted.
According to this clause article 57-(1) a person who is not a citizen may hold land on the basis of leasehold tenure only, and such a lease however granted, shall not exceed ninety-nine years. (2) An agreement, deed or conveyance of whatever nature which confers on a person who is not a citizen an interest in land greater than a ninety-nine year lease, is void.
(3) For purposes of this Article, a company or a body corporate is a citizen only if it is fully owned by citizens. (4) Parliament may enact legislation to make further provision for the operation of the provisions of this Article.
William Ruto on the other hand argues that Central government has no idea of the sensitivities involved. Instead he wants counties to manage the land and not the land commission.
Practically all the MPs allied to him from North Rift want the clauses on Public Land classified under clause (1) (f) to (m) shall vest in and be held by the national government in trust for the people of Kenya and shall be administered on their behalf by the National Land Commission" to be replaced by "Public land classified under clause (1)(f) and (m) shall vest in and be held by the national and county governments in trust for the people of Kenya and shall be administered on their behalf by the county governments and the National Land Commission.”
Isaac Ruto also wants amendment on the First Schedule on provinces which according to him seeks to divide Kenya into Provinces and the counties that make up the provinces. According to first schedule article 5(2) the counties into which Kenya is divided are-
1. Mombasa
2. Kwale
3. Kilifi
4. Tana River
5. Lamu
6. Taita/Taveta
7. Garissa
8. Wajir
9. Mandera
10. Marsabit
11. Isiolo
12. Meru .
13. Tharaka-Nithi
14. Embu
15. Kitui
16. Machakos
17. Makueni
18. Nyandarua
19. Nyeri
20. Kirinyaga
21. Murang'a
22. Kiambu
23. Turkana
24. West Pokot
25. Samburu
26. Trans Nzoia
27. Uasin Gishu
28. Elgeyo/Marakwet
29. Nandi
30. Baringo
31. Laikipia
32. Nakuru
33. Narok
34. Kajiado
35. Kericho
36. Bomet
37. Kakamega
38. Vihiga
39. Bungoma
40. Busia
41. Siaya
42. Kisumu
43. Homa Bay
44. Migori
45. Kisii
46. Nyamira
47. Nairobi City
Historically the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) was founded in 1960, to challenge KANU whose interest was mainly on the major ethnic communities. KADU founded to defend the interests of the tribes so-called KAMATUSA (an acronym for Kalenjin, Maasai, and Samburu, against the dominance of the larger Luo and Kikuyu tribes that comprised the majority of KANU's membership (Kenyatta himself being a Kĩkũyũ). KANU was totally against this proposal and instead favoured of centralism where all the collected revenues came to the Central Government.
Given that this could not work as desired it can explain why the current KADU-Asili (registered on 28 September 2006) is a replica of KADU. Its stand and core policy is the Devolution of power structure and Regionalism, which gives all communities realistic choices and equitable distribution of resources such as revenue, natural resources and opportunities.
Although it could be argued that politicians who advocate for Majimbo believe that a well thought out devolution system will ensure that their marginalized communities will have a better access to resources as opposed to a purely centralized system, the whole truth however, is that most of politicians view devolution as a means of creating a power base in their respective regions so they can perpetually use these basis in perceived power games with the Central government.
Some
politicians and church leaders are opposed to Majimbo on the basis that it is a
very destructive and dangerous system that seeks to create ethnic fiefdoms
while threatening Kenyans with evictions from where they have settled,
purchased property, set up businesses or are otherwise gainfully employed.
If implemented it would mean that the Kikuyu which is Kenya’s most populous ethnic group and are
spread all over Kenya
will suffer a great deal. There are about 5,347,000 Kikuyu people in Kenya equal to about 22 percent of Kenya’s
total population.
The Luhya is the second largest communities in Kenya. They number about 5.4 million people, or 14 percent of Kenya's total population of about 40 million. There are 16 sub-tribes among the Luhya of Kenya, each with a distinct dialect. They include Bukusu, Idakho, Isukha, Kabras, Khayo, Kisa, Marachi, Maragoili, Marama, Nyala, Nyole, Samia, Tachoni, Tiriki, Tsotso and Wanga.
The third largest ethnic group which can also be affected is Luo with a population of about 3,185,000 equal to 11 percent. It is followed by the Kalenjin- estimated at roughly 3 million. Like Luhya there are several smaller tribal groupings within the Kalenjin. They include Elgeyo, Endorois, Kipsigis, Marakwet, Nandi, Pokot, Sabaot, Terik, Tuqen, and Sebei. Given that they are pastoralists it means that they cannot be allowed to move from one place to the other with their animals.
Other ethnic groups who could be affected include Kamba- living in the semi-arid Eastern Province of Kenya, Kisii, also known as Gusii and Abagusii with the population of about 28547 according to the GeoNames geographical database.
Other ethnic groups in Kenya include Turkana, Samburu, Maasai, Mjikenda living along the coast from the border of Somalia in the north to the border of Tanzania in the south. The Mjikenda include the Digo, Chonyi, Kambe, Duruma, Kauma, Rabai, Jibana and Giriama.
We have also Oromos in northern Kenya who first entered the region from southern Ethiopia during a major migratory expansion in the late 10th century. They then differentiated into the cattle-keeping Borana and the camel-keeping Gabbra and Sakuye.
We also have the Ogiek, an indigenous hunting and gathering community who live in the several forests in Kenya. A few who are also marginalized live in North Tingeret Forest in Uasin Gishu District. They are nicknamed Dorobo which means poor people who cannot afford cattle. They speak Kalenjin dialect but do not consider themselves to be Tugen, Nandi or Kipsigis.
There is also the little known El molo ethnic group, the smallest community in Kenya living in small villages on the southeastern shore of Lake Turkana. El molo's total population is about 4000 people but pure Elmolo people are very few with increased access to modern medicine and intermarriages with neighboring Turkana and Samburu people.
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WE SHOULDN’T CRUCIFY THE POPE ON HIS SEX ABUSE MISSION
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010
On Sunday April 18, 2010 the Telegraph had on its headline and the photograph shown here below how Pope Benedict XVI briefly nodded off in front of tens of thousands of people during an outdoor mass in Malta's capital, Valletta.
The Pope according to the report slumped forward around halfway through the mass, which was held just outside the historic stone walls encircling the city and he had to be roused by the Vatican's master of ceremonies, Bishop Guido Marini, (Right) who was sitting next to him and gently nudged him.
The telegraph reported that although the pontiff spent only 26 hours in Malta after flying in from Rome on Saturday, he had a busy and tiring schedule of events – meeting dignitaries and Malta's president, waving to crowds from his "Pope-mobile" and expressing his sorrow to a group of sex abuse victims.
Although his apparent exhaustion is also a reflection of his age – he turned 83 on Friday, one thing we must admit that since he took over from Pope John Paul II the pontiff inherited lots of problems unsolved, not only on sex abuse by priests but also the pending cases of priests who want to be relieved from their vows of celibacy so that they can marry.
When it comes to sex however, this is a very complicated issue that do not only affect priests but all humanity. And as one of the renowned African Theologian and expert on Human Sexuality, Rev Fr Laurenti Magesa, Ph.D expresses on one of his papers on Human Sexuality and the African Dilemma: Introducing Some Pressing Contemporary Issues, “change” or “transition” that is taking place between tradition and modernity in the world in the political, economic, religious and social spheres, human sexuality is intimately involved.
Even though the purpose of the essay is to stimulate thought on sexuality and sexual realigns in Africa today, the problem is world wide. It explains why one of the most controversial issues in the Constitutional Review process in Kenya has been the question of abortion despite the fact that there are some other important issues that Churches in Kenya should equally address.
What is bothering Church leaders in Kenya is the question on when life begins, so that abortion can be considered murder, the killing of innocent life, and a criminal offence, and should this be enshrined in the Constitution as a universal law or be left to the discretion of particular laws depending on circumstances, such as in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother?
Father Magesa who derives courage to raise these questions from the thinking of the Roman philosopher Terence who lived around 190-159 BCE thinks he spoke for all of us when he declared: “I am a human being, I count nothing human foreign [or indifferent] to me” (Homo sum; humani nil a me alienum puto).
Even though the claim so often heard that some things only happen with certain people in certain parts of the world cannot be more foolish, especially when made today, surrounded as we are with information through the mass media, what Pope is experiencing in Europe, USA and South America could be happening in the rest of the world, only that the media has not exposed them.
The best example is recent revelation by leading African Catholic archbishop in South Africa that sexual abuse by Catholic priests is a scourge in Africa as well. Archbishop of Johannesburg Buti Tlhagale said the damage weakened the Church's ability to speak out with moral authority in Africa, where it has at times been a rare voice challenging dictatorship, corruption and abuse of power.
Some 40 complaints of abuses, some from as far back as four decades ago, have been received by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference over 14 years according to its website, over half involved the sexual abuse are teenage girls. Father Chris Townsend, the group's spokesman, said some clergy had been found guilty and the bishops were responsible for those measures.
In a story appearing on Sunday Standard Society Magazine, May 23, 2004 entitled: Children of the church- my father is a father, Maore Ithula in his report reveals how an Italian priest, Fr Remon Botto, and a local woman’s affair resulted in a mixed-race child. The priest, who died in the late 1960s, was based at Igoji Teachers College in Meru, Kenya.
He quotes Emeritus Catholic Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’ Nzeki to have acknowledged that in Meru, the Church has been tested and found to be wanting. The diocese is short of money, he says, because a lot of it goes to support children sired by priests.
Residents claim that more than half of the priests, who have served in the district at various churches and institutions, have had affairs with women — and a good number of them have left children behind.
Although there are no statistics of the number of children sired by Catholic priests in the over 100 years the religion has been active in Kenya, it is estimated that one in every three clerics has had a child wherever he has served.
According to Archbishop Mwana a’Nzeki, it is hard to pinpoint a child as having been sired by a priest if it is born within an existing family, unless a husband seeks a divorce based on the biological parenthood of the child he doubts to be his, or the priest claims responsibility, which is rare but possible.
He also says that even though the Church forgives priests who sire a first child and takes over the responsibility of raising it, they (priests) are issued with stern warnings. A repeat of the offence results in suspension from his clerical duties and being set free to marry.
In defence of pardons accorded the priests by the Church for breaking Canon Law, the archbishop read out a letter from the Vatican exonerating a priest in Nyeri Diocese from suspension recommended by a group of his peers.
The letter, addressed to the Bishop of Nyeri, from the Pro Nuncio, Giovanni Tonucci, advises the diocese to treat the matter with leniency, saying that the priest should be forgiven for the sin but cautioned that he would be suspended from his pastoral duties if he repeated the mistake. Priests in Nyeri Diocese were complaining that such cases in the area — only second to Meru Diocese — were getting out of hand, especially in the Murang’a Parish.
On the other hand, shocking details that have emerged on the extent to which school girls in Kenya fall prey to sexual predators — their own teachers confirms what Father Magesa has expressed about human sexuality and its complications.
In Kenya it is revealed that up to 12,660 girls were sexually abused by teachers over a five-year period according to a government report launched last month. The report by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) says that in some cases, teachers abused as many as 20 girls in a single school before they were reported.
The survey, which captured data between 2003 and 2007, said the 12,660 girls estimated to have been abused in schools over the period were enough to fill 79 single-streamed primary schools that have an average of 40 girls a class.
The report found that only 633 teachers were charged with sexual abuse in the five years covered by the study, but that was only the tip of the iceberg — most cases went unreported.
Even bishops are not spared. In a highly unusual case the Austrian church hierarchy called on the accused, Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, to repent publicly. The Cardinal was forced to resign as Archbishop of Vienna in 1995 after he was accused of sexually abusing students at a seminary 20 years ago.
In 1995, allegations surfaced that he had molested students at an all-male Catholic high school in the early 1970s. After Pope John Paul II ordered him to relinquish all church duties, Cardinal Groer went into months of Vatican-imposed exile near Dresden, Germany.
While this is taking place a Mexican citizen is suing Catholic cardinals in Mexico City and Los Angeles, accusing them of purposely hiding the background of a Mexican priest accused of sexually abusing dozens of children.
The suit, filed in a Los Angeles federal court on behalf of an unidentified Mexican man, charges that US cardinal Roger Mahony and Mexican cardinal Norberto Rivera intentionally covered up a pattern of child sex abuse by former priest Nicolas Aguilar.
Even Pope Benedict, in his earlier roles as an archbishop in Germany and later in his tenure at the helm of the Vatican morals office, has been accused by victim support groups of being part of a systematic cover-up by the church hierarchy of suspected paedophile priests.
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PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS AS NUMBER OF PRIESTS IN EUROPE AND US DECLINE
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA,
FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2010
Sunday April 25, 2010 Catholics all over the world will mark the 47th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, also known as Vocations Sunday to be celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of Easter – Year C-Good Shepherd Sunday.
First Reading -Acts 13: 14, 43-52.
Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. On the following Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that
the word of God be spoken to you
first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal
life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the
Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the
earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the
Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the
Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited
the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from
their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against
them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Second Reading- Rev 7:9, 14b-17
I, John,
had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation,
race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing
white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. Then one of the elders
said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great
distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb.
“For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day
and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They
will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For
the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to
springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes.”
Gospel- Jn 10: 27-30.
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Pope’s message
Pope Benedict XVI's message for Sunday's event: "May this World Day once again offer many young people a precious opportunity to reflect on their own vocation and to be faithful to it in simplicity, trust and complete openness”. He has also called the whole Church to celebrate a Year for Priests beginning on 19th June 2009, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
His purpose for this year is to encourage priests in their “striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends” and to highlight “the importance of the priest's role and mission in the Church and in contemporary society”.
Number of Catholics and priests
According
to Pontifical Yearbook of 2007 Releases Data, the
number of Catholics and priests in the world at year-end 2005 had increased
slightly over the previous 12 months, according to the new Pontifical Yearbook.
There were 1.115 billion Catholics worldwide with an increase of 1.5 percent of
Catholics compared with the 1.098 billion listed the previous year.
There was an increase of 3.1 percent of Catholics in Africa, whose population has grown by
slightly less than 2.5 percent. "The Asian and American continents have
also registered a higher increase in Catholics than in population growth, 2.71
percent against 1.18 percent for Asia, and 1.2 percent against 0.9 percent for America.
The Pontifical Yearbook also revealed that the number of diocesan and religious
priests rose to 406,411 from 405,891, a relative increase of 0.13 percent. The
percentage increases were much higher in Asia and Africa, 3.8 percent and 3.55 percent,
respectively.
This is in contrast to "Europe and America
with a percentage decrease of about a half point, and Australia, with a fall of 1.8
percent in the number of priests. Africa
and Asia proportionately had more priests according to the Vatican
statement. Africa and Asia together provided 19.58 percent to the world's
overall number in 2004; in 2005 their contribution had risen to 20.28percent.
The Americas maintained a
percentage of around 29.8 percent, while Oceania
stayed stable, at slightly over 1 percent of the world's priests, according to
the communiqué. In 2004, the 199,978 priests represented nearly 49.3 percent of
the total ecclesiastic group, while one year later it had diminished to 48.8
percent.
The Pontifical Yearbook also reported that the number of seminarians had increased
in Africa, Asia and America, while decreasing in Europe and
remaining stable in Oceania. In 2005, of every
100 candidates to the priesthood in the whole world, 32 were American, 26
Asian, 21 African, 20 European and
one from Oceania.
That was 2007-The 2009 Pontifical Yearbook on the other hand recorded that the number of Catholics worldwide increased by 1.4 percent from 2006-2007, just over the world population growth, which in the same period increased by 1.1 percent. Priestly vocations also grew, though less (0.4 percent), but with notable differences between the continents: While Europe is witnessing a recession, Africa and Asia are experiencing an increase in vocations.
According to the statistics, the number of Catholics in the world has increased from 1.131 billion to almost 1.147 billion in one year, 17.3 percent of the total population, a percentage that has remained stable from one year to another.
The yearbook reported that in this same period the number of bishops also increased by 1 percent, especially in Oceania and Africa, growing from 4,898 to 4,946 in total. America and Europe continue to hold the majority of the prelates, with 70 percent of the total number of bishops living on these continents.
Seminarians
While the number of seminarians increased by 0.4 percent with present number at 115,919 worldwide, from 1966 to 1999, the total number of U.S. seminarians dropped from 39,638 to 4,826 (2000 Catholic Almanac). In 1966, there were approximately 600 seminaries and religious houses of formation in the U.S. that educated future priests.
In 1967, 32 seminaries closed. By 1970, 74 more seminaries closed their doors. By 1996, only 192 seminaries remained (408 seminaries/houses of formation had closed since 1966). However, while they increased in Africa and Asia, they decreased considerably in Europe (-2.1 percent) and America (-1 percent).
While Brazil still enjoys the position as the largest Catholic country in the world, with some 125 million followers recorded in 2000, according to the US Pew Forum on Religion and Public life, successive Brazilian censuses show the Catholic share of the population decreased by 4.1 percent in the 20 years from 1960 to 1980, and dropped almost three times as much in the next 20 years.
As BBC reports, by contrast, the number of Protestants increased by 2.6 percent between 1960 and 1980, but more than tripled the rate of increase in the following 20 years. Leonardo Boff, a former priest and Brazil's best-known voice of Liberation Theology, says the Catholic Church must take responsibility for the decline in numbers.
He believes the fault is that of the Catholic Church itself, and the rigid dogma and inability to create a new language. "So many people leave and look for other churches, which have more populist language, and they are more welcoming and they allow for a sacred experience, an experience of God which is easier and more immediate."
The challenge the Pope is facing when he visits Brazil is the debate on abortion which the health minister has recently said he would like to see a wide-ranging debate on the issue of abortion - currently permitted only in limited circumstances - a suggestion that has already prompted a vigorous response from senior clergy there like in Kenya and South Africa.
Opinion polls already suggest the vast majority of Brazilians do not endorse the teachings of the Church on birth control, and a wider discussion is under way about the ethics of stem cell research using embryos. In other words the majority there would not mind whether abortion is passed or not. Under present law, abortion is only permitted when the life of the mother is at risk, or in the case of rape.
Below is the summary of catholic population in assorted countries courtesy of BBC:
Total population: 176.9m-Number of Catholics: 151.2m (85 percent). The faith took root after Jesuit missionaries arrived in the wake of the early Portuguese explorers of the 16th Century.
Total population: 1.31bn-Number of Catholics: About 13m (1 percent). By 1949, the Church was estimated to have 3m baptised members. But China's new Communist rulers, suspicious of foreign links, expelled foreign clergy and missionaries and official ties with the Vatican were broken off.
A state-sanctioned Church for Catholics (set up in 1957) is now estimated to have more than 5m members. But an "underground" Church with allegiance to Rome also exists and is reported to have about 8m members.
Total population: 11.3m- Number of Catholics: 6.3m (56 percent). Roman Catholicism arrived with Spanish colonisers in the 16th Century, and became the dominant faith. After Fidel Castro swept to power in 1959, Cuba became an officially atheist country and curbed religious freedom. The Church was not banned outright, but Catholics were targeted in other ways.
Total population: 52.8m -Number of Catholics: 29.5m (56 percent). Roman Catholic missionaries first arrived in the coastal region in the late 15th Century in the wake of Portuguese explorers. The faith prospered under Belgian colonial rule in the early 20th Century, and has played a significant role by running primary and secondary schools as well as hospitals and other institutions.
Total population: 824,000-Number of Catholics: 767,000 (93 percent). East Timor is one of only two majority Catholic states in East Asia- The other is the Philippines.
Total population: 1.07bn-Number of Catholics: 17.3m (1.6 percent). The 16th Century saw the arrival of Roman Catholic missionaries in the wake of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Roman Catholicism has grown to become the biggest Christian church in India, found mostly in the south and east.
Total population: 57.6m-Number of Catholics: 55.8m (96 percent). Although the baptism rate is traditionally high, Catholic congregations have been falling, birth rates shrinking and numbers taking religious orders have also decreased.
Total population: 104.7m-Number of Catholics: 93.6m (89 percent). Catholicism has remained the dominant religion even though evangelical churches have reported steady and significant growth for more than three decades.
NIGERIA
Total population: 126.1m-Number of Catholics: 18.9m (15 percent). Catholicism arrived in Nigeria with the Portuguese in the 15th Century. The Catholics were particularly active among the Igbo community in the south.
Total population: 81.1m -Number of Catholics: 66.4m (81 percent). Although Spanish rule ended after a revolt in 1896, the country remains overwhelmingly Catholic.
Total population: 38.6m -Number of Catholics: 36.9m (95 percent). Poland became staunchly Catholic and the faith has played a significant role in Polish history - particularly in the collapse of Communism in the 1980s.
Total population: 41.1m-Number of Catholics: 38.5m (94 percent). Christianity came early to Spain and the faith was firmly established when Muslim forces from North Africa invaded in the 7th Century and set up a state.
Total population: 26.7m-Number of Catholics: 11.2m (43 percent). Catholic missionaries arrived in the southern kingdom of Buganda in 1879, in the wake of Protestant counterparts, after visits by European explorers. The Muslim faith and indigenous beliefs account for most of the rest of the population.
UNITED STATES
Total population: 292m-Number of Catholics: 66.3m (22 percent). Roman Catholicism arrived with Spanish explorers and settlers in the 16th Century. But numbers remained relatively small until waves of mass emigration in the 19th Century brought millions from countries such as Ireland, France, Germany and Italy.
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