Category Archives: Religion

WORLD: WORKABLE APPROACH REQUIRED TO ERADICATE SEX TRADE

From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2012

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Auxiliary Bishop of Manila’s approach to new evangelization is not only mission impossible but also calls for yet another workable approach. Pabillo who also serves as chairman of the National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace wants women in Philippines to be given real rights and decent jobs and not prostitution.

Pabillo has not only denounced the United Nations over growing criticisms regarding the international organization’s recent report recommending that sex-related jobs be legalized in the Philippines but also stated categorically that prostitution is immoral and must be urgently eradicated in Philippines.

Bishop Pabillo has also rejected the idea that sex workers should be supplied with condoms to help control the spread of HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, arguing that HIV is still prevalent even in countries where prostitution is legal and using condoms.

According to Pabillo, the only way to eradicate prostitution in Philippines is for the government to focus on behavioral change. He thinks that by educating young people that sex outside marriage was a grave sin and could lead them to hell where there is everlasting fire would help to change their behaviors towards premarital sex.

It is not that sex workers are not aware that sex outside marriage is immoral they enter the industry to support poor parents, themselves, siblings according to recent survey.

According to survey of women working as masseuses indicated that 34 percent of them explained their choice of work as necessary to support poor parents, 8 percent to support siblings and 28 percent to support husbands or boyfriends. More than 20 percent said the job was well paid.

Over 50 percent of the women surveyed in Philippine massage parlors said they carried out their work “with a heavy heart,” and 20 percent said they were “conscience-stricken because they still considered sex with customers a sin.

Philippines is more than 80 percent Catholic and the church leadership thinks that by promoting abstinence young people may be able to adhere to the church’s doctrine for that matter.

Being predominantly catholic country, is why some local authorities, such as the mayor of Manila City, prohibit the distribution of condoms in government health facilities even for the non Catholics.

It is also why in late 2003, President Arroyo was praised by religious conservatives for taking Pesos (P)50 million (U.S.$888,000) from a fund allocated to contraceptive programs under former President Joseph Estrada and awarding the sum to a nongovernmental organization (NGO), Couples for Christ, to teach natural family planning methods.

While bishops in the Philippines have always opposed condoms for moral reasons, more recently some have begun to buttress their moral arguments with claims about the ineffectiveness of condoms.

These include the claim that condoms contain microscopic pores that are permeable by HIV pathogens, a view that is shared by such influential bishops as former archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin, and the head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, Alfonso Lopez Trujillo.

It is also why sex workers interviewed by Human Rights Watch said they had been given HIV tests in government clinics without their informed consent – a practice that has been shown to drive people from health and prevention services and increase their risk of infection. Being predominantly catholic country, apart from the church, some local authorities, such as the mayor of Manila City, prohibit the distribution of condoms in government health facilities.

In late 2003, President Arroyo was praised by religious conservatives for taking Pesos (P)50 million (U.S.$888,000) from a fund allocated to contraceptive programs under former President Joseph Estrada and awarding the sum to a nongovernmental organization (NGO), Couples for Christ, to teach natural family planning methods.

While bishops in the Philippines have always opposed condoms for moral reasons, more recently some have begun to buttress their moral arguments with claims about the ineffectiveness of condoms.

Besides repressing condoms and HIV/Aids information, the Philippines also acts in ways that radically increase the likelihood of a rapid outbreak and spread of HIV/Aids among populations at high risk, particularly sex workers.

Sex workers had been given HIV tests in government clinics without their informed consent – a practice that has been shown to drive people from health and prevention services and increase their risk of infection according to Human Rights Watch.

It is also why police routinely used possession of condoms as evidence to arrest and prosecute prostitution. Prostitutes have plenty of condoms in their bags in any case their clients did not carry them. They use condoms to avoid being infected by HIV viruses that cause Aids.

Most women and men enter sex trade industries due to lack of employment in Philippines, which remains the highest in the country compared with six other Asian countries.

The total number of unemployed persons in the country reached 2.9 million in January 2012 or 7.2 percent of the 40.3 million Filipinos in the labor force according to University of the Philippines economist Benjamin E. Diokno who admits that joblessness is more severe in the Philippines.

Jorge V. Sibal, dean of the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations, attributed the result to the relatively slower economic growth of the country. The country’s GDP gross domestic product is a little bit below the average economic growth in the region. Also, economic growth in the Philippines is much slower compared with the other six countries.

Almost one-third, or 32.8 percent, of the young unemployed Filipinos are high school graduates, 13.8 percent are college undergraduates, and 21 percent are college graduates. This explains why child prostitution is on rise.

In April, of the estimated 62.8 million Filipinos, aged 15 and above, 40.6 million are in the labor force, up slightly from the estimated 39.7 million recorded in April 2011 according to the study made by an international research group.

The research group cited the much higher population growth in the Philippines compared to its neighbors as the main cause of the country’s high unemployment rate. The Philippines has now a population of almost 100 million.

Another factor that compounds the unemployment problem is the low gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the Philippines, which was only 3.7 percent last year, the lowest in the region. The study said that less economic activities mean less spending by companies and thus making it difficult to create new jobs for the people.

Another criticism aired by some sectors is that the country’s education system continues to turn out college graduates whose training and skills are not attuned to the needs of the labor market both at home and abroad.

Against the background that women trafficking is alarming. About 150,000 Filipina women have been trafficked into prostitution in Japan according to recent Press Statement, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association.

There are 400,000 to 500,000 prostituted persons in the Philippines. Prostituted persons are mainly adult women, but there are also male, transvestite and child prostitutes, both girls and boys with an estimated 9,000 or more children involved in Manila alone.

This is not to mention children on the streets which make up approximately 75 percent of the street children in the Philippines. They work on the streets but do not live there. They generally have a home to return to after working, and some even continue to attend school while working long hours on the streets.

Completely abandoned children have no family ties and are entirely on their own for physical and psychological survival. They make up approximately 5-10 percent of the street children in the Philippines.

This process of predominantly catholic colonizers, it enabled the Church to play a central role in the lives of the people because it touched every aspect of their existence from birth to growth to marriage to adulthood to death. Whether the natives clearly understood the tenets and dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church is of course another matter.

In the course of colonization, the friars constructed opulent Baroque-style church edifices. These structures are still found today everywhere across the country and they symbolize the cultural influence of Spain in Filipino life.

Through these influences, the Church afforded the Filipinos abundant opportunities for both solemn rites and joyous festivities and celebrations known as “fiestas.” The services inside the Catholic churches often spilled out into the thoroughfare in the form of colorful and pageant-filled religious processions in which the rich and the poor participated.

This calls for the Catholic Church to change its approach to catechism, especially in Africa where the first white missionaries came to literally buy people to embrace Catholicism.

In Africa white missionaries did not want money from their faithful, instead they supported them, gave them free education, healthcare, built for them churches, schools, hospitals and paid for them school fees for their children.

The white missionaries did not want money from their faithful that is why whether you paid ten cent for sadaka (offertory) they did not mind because they did not want your money. That is why up to now Catholics still pay sadaka ranging from one shilling to 20 shillings at most.

It explains why black missionaries who are taking over from whites get it very difficult to run parishes because majority of their Christians still believe that they should be everything to them just as white missionaries were.

Many Catholics have abandoned Catholicism to other denominations where they think they can get help. Even pastors fight over powers to control finances. It has become a nightmare and a big challenge for churches in Africa and developing worlds.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

ARCHBISHOP OKOTH ISN’T INTERFERING WITH CATHOLIC SPONSORED SCHOOLS

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012

Gutter Press, Citizen Newspaper reported last week that Kisumu Catholic Archdiocese Bishop Zacchaeus Okoth was interfering with Catholic sponsored school, citing one of the schools that he intervened in making sure that the headmistress who was not a catholic removed from that school.

[image]From left Methodist Church of Kenya Presiding Bishop Rev Stephen Kanyaru, Catholic Archbishop John Cardinal Njue and Head of the Anglican Church Rev Eliud Wabukala during a news conference at Waumini House, Nairobi September 20, 2012. The Church leaders have opposed the Basic Education Bill saying it does not recognise their role in education/ Photo courtesy Daily Nation.

This as a matter of fact is not interfering with the schools. Sponsored schools must keep their faith identity and one of the conditions is that the head of the school must be of that particular faith. Not only the head of the school but even the chairperson of the board of governors and Parent Teachers Association. This is not only catholic but all faith based schools in Kenya.

These schools tend to derive spirituality, morality, ethics, religious laws or preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature. This is because spirituality in this context is a matter of nurturing thoughts, emotions, words and actions that are in harmony with a belief.

The issue is coming at the time a judge ruled Thursday that cheerleaders at an East Texas high school can display banners emblazoned with Bible verses at football games, saying the school district’s ban on the practice appears to violate the students’ free speech rights.

District Judge Steve Thomas granted an injunction requested by the Kountze High School cheerleaders allowing them to continue displaying religious-themed banners pending the outcome of a lawsuit, which is set to go to trial next June 24, according to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said. Thomas previously granted a temporary restraining order allowing the practice to continue.

In the Philippines for example, private schools have been operated by the Catholic Church since the time of Spanish colonization. The Philippines is one of two predominant Roman Catholic nations in South Asia.

To keep the faith identity in schools, is why in Ireland Catholic schools in are state-aided, rather than state owned. Church groups in Ireland privately own most primary and secondary schools. Evidence indicates that approximately 60 percent of secondary schools pupils attend schools owned by religious congregations.

In England and Wales, Catholic schools are either independent or voluntary aided, with the funding divided between the state and the Catholic Education Service. It explains why a head teacher who recently tried to reduce the influence of religion inside the classroom by creating the country’s first secular state school had his plans blocked by senior government officials who called it a ‘political impossibility’.

That is why all schools, faith and non-faith alike, must teach religious education as part of the basic curriculum. In some countries, Catholic schools are funded by the state.

[image]From left to right, Elizabeth Ouko, Irene Dete and Martha Dete pose for a photo with Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ. Sponsored schools must keep their faith identity. This is not only catholic but all faith based schools in Kenya/ Photo by Stephen Dete.

Generally a maintained faith school is a foundation or voluntary school with a religious character. It has a foundation which holds land on trust for the school – and which may have provided some or all of the land in the first place – and which appoints governors to the school. In many cases, the land is held on trust for the specific purposes of providing education in accordance with the tenets of a particular faith.

Decisions on the establishment of maintained faith schools are taken under local decision-making arrangements – either by the local authority or the Schools Adjudicator, following a statutory process.

Admissions policy is determined by the school governors, even though in some cases the local education authority is also involved. The Church of England for example urges schools to take account of the local community and make sure wealthier parents from outside the area do not push out local people.

It explains why in Scottish Catholic schools, employment of non-Catholics can be restricted by the Church; often, one of the requirements for Catholic applicants is to possess a certificate that has been signed by their parish priest, although each diocese has its own variation on the method of approval.

Non-Catholic applicants are not required to provide any religious documentation. Certain positions, such as head teachers, deputy heads, religious education teachers and guidance teachers are required to be Roman Catholic.

Scottish faith schools have the practice of school-wide daily assembly/worship; some Catholic schools even have their own prayer. Whilst maintaining a strong Catholic ethos, Scottish Catholic schools have long welcomed pupils from other faith backgrounds, though they tend to give precedence to non-Catholics who come from religious families and a large number of Muslims also go to Catholic schools.

Against the background that Kenya Episcopal Conference are opposed to Basic Education Bill 2012 .If passed and enacted, the Bill could result to loss of church land where various schools stand, church leaders say.

The bishops are also unhappy with the composition of the National Education Board and land ownership of schools as contained in the Bill. The Bill does not recognise the churches role in education.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

UNDERSTANDING DEATH IN VIEW OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION

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from: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

The fear of death and dying is nearly universal. It explains why some people cannot watch movies about death, while others are unable to visit cemeteries. Death is feared because it is tied into our religious beliefs, particularly if they happen to be going through a period of questioning.

[image]A priest blesses crosses during the memorial mass of some of the deceased in Siaya County. Part of Catholic belief in praying for the dead comes from a few verses in the Apocrypha, 2 Maccabees 12:39-40 says-“Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs/ Photo by Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ

2 Maccabees 12:38-45 states that when Judas rallied his army and went to the city of Adullam, as the seventh day was approaching, they purified themselves according to custom and kept the Sabbath there.

On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his companions went to gather up the bodies of the fallen and bury them with their kindred in their ancestral tombs.

But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had fallen.

The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.

[image]Priests from left to right, Fr Frederick Odhimabo parish priest Ukwala parish, Nicholas Owino, Lyk community superior general and Frederick Otieno regional superior Kenya bless the grave of Mzee Leonard Thomas Okiyo, October 19, 2012 at Justice Chief Radido at Ukwala, Siaya County. Catholics believe it is an act of charity to pray for their dead when they are going through or are in “purgatory.” They don’t believe it’s all over once a person dies. If the deceased is a believer they conclude he or she is still alive – awaiting their resurrection bodies/ Photo by Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ

In Romans 14:7-9 St Paul tells his Christian communities not to fear death for none of us lives for ourselves alone and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Even Jesus had difficult time to explain to his disciples that we should not fear death. John 5:24-29 states: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned”.

Even some people who think they know what will happen after death worry that they may be wrong. Part of the fear is caused by how catechism was presented to us. We were told that if you sin you will go to hell where there is an everlasting fire.

If you died with venial sin you will be taken to purgatory, a place and state of temporary punishment in the next world. It means “cleansing” (or “purging”). Purgatory is a place where the soul is cleansed of unforgiven venial sin and/or the “debt” of sins already forgiven but not yet made up for.

Only people with mortal sin go to Hell, and on the other hand, no one can enter Heaven with even the smallest sin. Therefore, there must be a place in the next world where lesser sins can be taken off the soul.

People who die with Sanctifying Grace in their souls, but — who die with venial sin on their souls, or who have not completed (satisfied for) the punishment still due to their already forgiven sins.

Even though God forgives your sins, He still requires that you be punished for them (i.e. “pay” for them), either in this life or in the next. We read that Judas Machabeus, “sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the dead.” (2 Machabees 12:43).

In the Bible, St. Paul gives us a list of grave sins. He states that anyone who commits these sins shall not enter the kingdom of God. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like (Galatians 5:19-20).

In order to avoid everlasting fire therefore, mortal sins must be specifically confessed and named, giving details about the context of each sin: what sin, why, against what or whom, the number and type of occurrences, and any other factors when it may exacerbate or lessen one’s responsibility and culpability that the person confessing remembers.

Against the background the Roman Catholic teaching on mortal sin was called into question by some within the Church in the late 20th century after the Second Vatican Council. In response to these doubts, Pope John Paul II reaffirmed the basic teaching in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor

Veritatis Splendor begins by asserting that there are indeed absolute truths accessible to all persons. Contrary to the philosophy of moral relativism, the encyclical insists that moral law is universal across people in varying cultures, and is in fact rooted in the human condition.

It is also maintained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states: “Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell.”

During this period the clergy were authorized by the Catholic Church to absolve penitents from the guilt of his sins and from punishment in the hellish inferno of the hereafter by sale of indulgences.

By making a monetary contribution to the church, a penitent would receive a partial indulgence not to commit further sins, while at the same time, diminishing the time period that he/she was to suffer in purgatory for remission of his sins.

Martin Luther is among reformist theologians who objected the sale of indulgences and the Holy See’s spiritual power to remit sins, which Luther vehemently opposed when he nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the formidable Castle Church at Wittenberg on November 1, 1517.

Luther saw this traffic in indulgences as an abuse that could mislead the clergy into relying simply on the indulgences themselves to the neglect of the confession, true repentance, and satisfactions.

Pope Leo X disregarded Luther as “a drunken German who wrote the Theses” who “when sober will change his mind. When he did not change his mind Luther was at variance with a papal bull, declared him a heretic. Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther on January 3, 1521 in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

It explains why a child’s fear of death can be devastating to the parent. This is because children generally lack the defense mechanisms, religious beliefs and understanding of death that help adults cope. They also do not fully understand time, making it difficult for them to accept that people sometimes leave and come back again.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

THE NEW EVANGELIZATION AND THE RISE OF ISLAM

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012

The bishops at the synod on the new evangelization were on Saturday evening stirred when a seven-minute YouTube video warning of the rise of Islam in Europe was shown to them- Muslim demographics in Europe.

The controversy started when Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Ghanaian who is based in the Vatican and is president of its Council for Justice and Peace, screened the controversial video during a free discussion period.

Though the meeting was planned to discuss ways of winning back lapsed Roman Catholics in developed countries, the clip brought Islam to the top of the agenda at the synod, attended by 262 bishops.

The clip, which has been viewed over 13 million times on YouTube since it was uploaded by an anonymous user in 2009, combines dramatic music with skewed population statistics to make claims about various European countries.

Among its false claims, the clip says “In just 39 years France will be an Islamic republic.”

Critics have pointed out that the fertility figures used in the video, which claim French women have an average of 1.8 children while French Muslim women have 8.1 children, cannot be genuine as France does not collect statistics by religion.

Although according to Father Thomas Rosica, the English-language briefing officer for the synod says the film is not professionally done, the film tries to show that in a very few years, Europe will be majority Muslim, as immigrant Muslim families have high birth rates and Europeans have falling fertility rates.

Vatican Radio described the video as a “fear-mongering presentation” complete with “scary music” and “stark white words on a black background.” The video shows churches transform into mosques as it forecasts majority-Muslim populations in the countries of Europe.

Although synod bishops continued to discuss the film on Monday, and why it was shown, they said the statistics cited in the video are faulty. The film has sparked debate on interfaith dialogue with Islam and what the biggest challenges are to the New Evangelization.

Stirred by the film, the European bishops’ conference are now planning to publish accurate statistics on birth rates and religious affiliation on the continent for synod participants. The bishops are claiming that 90 percent of European growth comes from Islamic immigration sounds very high.

Muslims in France for example, do not have 8.1 children per family, and it is very doubtful France will be Muslim 40 years from now. The clip claims that in Southern France, there are more mosques than churches, that 30 percent of children under 20 are Muslim, that in the larger cities, 45 percent of children under 20 are Muslim, and that by 2027 20 percent of the French will be Muslim.

Although the rate might have been exaggerated, it is true that in the urban centers, the proportion of Muslim youth is very high, going up to 40-50 percent. This is because Muslims mostly live in the urban centers.

While the in the last 30 years the clip claims that Muslim population in UK rose from 82,000 to 2.5 million, it further claims that in the Netherlands – 50 percent of all newborns are Muslim and by 2024 half the population will be Muslim.

The clip claims that also in Belgium 50 percent of newborns are Muslim- it goes on to say that 25 percent of the population are Muslim too. The clip then goes on to say that according to the Belgian government, a third of children born in the EU in 2025 will be Muslim and that according to the German government, Germany will be a Muslim state in 2050.

According to the clip the German government expects there to be 104 million Muslims in Europe within the next 20 years, whereas in Canada and the US, and discovers that Islam is an evangelizing religion.

It is claimed that Sunni Muslims will continue to make up an overwhelming majority of Muslims in 2030 (87- 90 percent). The portion of the world’s Muslims who are Shia may decline slightly, largely because of relatively low fertility in Iran, where more than a third of the world’s Shia Muslims live.

The Middle East-North Africa will continue to have the highest percentage of Muslim-majority countries. Of the 20 countries and territories in this region, all but Israel are projected to be at least 50 percent Muslim in 2030, and 17 are expected to have a population that is more than 75 percent Muslim in 2030, with Israel, Lebanon and Sudan (as currently demarcated) being the only exceptions.

Nearly a quarter (23.2 percent) of Israel’s population is expected to be Muslim in 2030, up from 17.7 percent in 2010 and 14.1 percent in 1990. During the past 20 years, the Muslim population in Israel has more than doubled, growing from 0.6 million in 1990 to 1.3 million in 2010. The Muslim population in Israel (including Jerusalem but not the West Bank and Gaza) is expected to reach 2.1 million by 2030.

Egypt, Algeria and Morocco currently have the largest Muslim populations (in absolute numbers) in the Middle East-North Africa. By 2030, however, Iraq is expected to have the second-largest Muslim population in the region — exceeded only by Egypt — largely because Iraq has a higher fertility rate than Algeria or Morocco.

The Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow by nearly 60% in the next 20 years, from 242.5 million in 2010 to 385.9 million in 2030. Because the region’s non- Muslim population also is growing at a rapid pace, Muslims are expected to make up only a slightly larger share of the region’s population in 2030 (31.0 percent) than they do in 2010 (29.6 percent).

Various surveys give differing figures for the size of religious groups in Nigeria, which appears to have roughly equal numbers of Muslims and Christians in 2010. By 2030, Nigeria is expected to have a slight Muslim majority (51.5 percent).

In 2030, Muslims are projected to make up more than 10 percent of the total population in 10 European countries: Kosovo (93.5 percent), Albania (83.2 percent), Bosnia-Herzegovina (42.7 percent), Republic of Macedonia (40.3 percent), Montenegro (21.5 percent), Bulgaria (15.7 percent), Russia (14.4 percent), Georgia (11.5 percent), France (10.3 percent) and Belgium (10.2 percent).

Russia will continue to have the largest Muslim population (in absolute numbers) in Europe in 2030. Its Muslim population is expected to rise from 16.4 million in 2010 to 18.6 million in 2030. The growth rate for the Muslim population in Russia is projected to be 0.6 percent annually over the next two decades.

The number of Muslims in Canada is expected to nearly triple in the next 20 years, from about 940,000 in 2010 to nearly 2.7 million in 2030. Muslims are expected to make up 6.6 percent of Canada’s total population in 2030, up from 2.8 percent today. Argentina is expected to have the third-largest Muslim population in the Americas, after the U.S. and Canada. Argentina, with about 1 million Muslims in 2010, is now in second place, behind the U.S.

About two-thirds of the Muslims in the U.S. today (64.5 percent) are first-generation immigrants (foreign-born), while slightly more than a third (35.5 percent) were born in the U.S. By 2030, however, more than four-in-ten of the Muslims in the U.S. (44.9 percent) are expected to be native-born.

The top countries of origin for Muslim immigrants to the U.S. in 2009 were Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are expected to remain the top countries of origin for Muslim immigrants to the U.S. in 2030.

The clip has been shown at the time violent clashes erupted in Dar es Salaam’s Mbagala suburb when scores of Muslim youth stormed a police station and demanded that a 14-year-old boy accused of urinating on the Quran be handed over to them.

In the aftermath of the confrontation, at least five Christian churches were burnt, several car windows smashed and passersby injured as the angry mob moved from street to street at Mbagala Kizuiani protesting the desecration of the holy book.

The clip has been shown when Pope Benedict XVI had just offered prayers in Arabic the first time on Wednesday, October 10, in an effort to reach out Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.

The prayer according to the Vatican was made to show the pontiff’s concern for Christians in the Middle East and to remind both Muslims and Christians to work for peace in the region.

Pope Benedict angered Muslims worldwide in 2006 after quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor that everything Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) brought was evil and inhuman.

His lecture triggered criticisms from Muslim countries, scholars and intellectuals and strained ties between the Vatican and the Muslim world. The pontiff has repeatedly said the words did not reflect his personal views but stopped short of a clear apology to Muslims.

He also drew the ire of religious leaders after issuing a document titled “Dominus Jesus,” which clearly stated that Christianity was the only true path to salvation.

It is at the same time a senior Vatican cardinal has thanked Muslims for bringing religion back into the public life in Europe, stressing the need for dialogue between followers of different faiths.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Catholic Church’s department for interfaith contacts, said in a speech printed in the Vatican’s official daily L’Osservatore Romano, reported Reuters on Friday, November 28. “Muslims, having become a significant minority in Europe, were the ones who demanded space for God in society.”

It is also at the time Archbishop Joseph Absi, Titular Archbishop of Tarsus of the Greek-Melkites in Syria has called on participants of the Synod of Bishops to avoid tensions and misunderstandings with the Muslim world.

The Zenit quoted the Syrian prelate to have said that through the eyes of Muslims, the de-Christianization of Europe has not affected their view of a distinction between Christians and Westerners.

“The Muslims do not see the difference between Christians and Westerners, because they do not distinguish, themselves, between what is religious and what is political and social,” he said.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

CHALLENGES OF THE NEW EVANGELIZATION AND TEENAGE MOTHERHOOD

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

REGIONAL NEWS TEAM
NAIROBI-KENYA
MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Just as Synod bishops are discussing the approach to the new evangelization, in Kenya there is a shocking report that three in every 10 teenage girls are having children. Kenya is among countries with a large number of teenage mothers globally, according to the UN report.

Nearly three in every 10 girls are having babies and disrupting their schooling, the study by the UN’s special envoy for global education, Mr Gordon Brown revealed recently.

Among 25 countries selected for the survey based on mothers under 18 years, Kenya is ranked sixth.

In Philippines where teenage motherhood is also on the rise Episcopal Commission on Youth executive secretary Fr. Conegundo Garganta calls for a renewed sense of values among the young. Fr Garganta believes this can arrest the increasing incidence of teen pregnancies.

At 53 births per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 19, the teenage pregnancy rate in the Philippines is the highest among Asean’s six major economies, according to the United Nations Population Fund’s 2011 annual report.

Based on data compiled from birth certificates, of the 1.75 million live births in 2009, the latest review year, over 11 percent involved teenaged mothers. The UN Population Fund Agency also found out that teenage pregnancy cases in the country surged by 70 percent in only a decade.

Although according to health experts lack of services and information about adolescent reproductive health are to blame for fuelling the rise of teen pregnancies, in UK where government policies aimed at reducing teenage pregnancies have failed to have any impact, according to a new study.

The study looked at the teenage pregnancy figures between 1969 and 2009. It found that despite the millions of pounds spent in government initiatives over the last four decades, pregnancy rates among teenaged girls aged 13-16, have remained steady, while abortion rates have gone up.

Government policies have tended to focus on providing ever-easier access to contraception, including “emergency birth control,” after sexual encounters which had an even worse rate of success.

In Kenya, besides the pregnancies, the report also has evidence that despite huge efforts and resources spent in HIV awareness campaigns, many teenagers are still engaging in sex.

In Kenya, as in most African countries, 25-year-old men are far more likely to have HIV than 16-year-old adolescent boys. This means that sexual relationships with older partners are particularly dangerous for adolescent girls.

It is equally shocking that teenage pregnancy in Kenya amongst school going girls has become a worrying trend. Young girls drop out of school due to pregnancy and may not continue with their education.

While poverty could be attributed as one of the major causes of teenage pregnancies, most young people trust their peers and are easily influenced to engage in sexual encounters as a way of belong to a group.

While each year worldwide, an estimated 13 million births take place among young women between the ages of 15 to 19, in Kenya every year up to 13,000 girls leave school due to pregnancy.

According to available statistics half of girls in Kenya begin child bearing before age 20 years. About 250,000 girls between ages 15 to 19 procure abortions. Every year Kenyan families lose an estimated 806 million shillings due to school girl drop out.

Besides poverty, lack of a stable family structure may also push the girls to look for security else where and this is when they get lured in relationships which have devastating effects on their lives.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

Kenya: Leadership; who are they?

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From: odhiambo okecth

Friends,

Many times when things go wrong we tend to point fingers to our leaders. And when we talk about our leaders, in most cases we mean the elected political leaders.

Now, are these the only leaders we have? Are they the people who shape up our thinking? What happens to the many other leaders we have in society, because, political leaders are very few- only 200 in Parliament and then the Civic Leaders across our Local Authorities.

We have Religious Leaders, men and women who in some way have been inspired to keep us on the strict and narrow path to righteousness.Have they failed in their duty as our Spiritual Shepherds? Cases of immorality are on the rise and in many cases, Religious Leaders are the worst culprits. They have failed the People of God and they are as guilty as many philanderers around.

We have Teachers, and when I was young, Teachers were a very respected lot in society. They were people we sought leadership from and their wise counsel was final. Teachers brooked no nonsense and happy were we that Teachers were the people who shaped our growth from childhood. But currently, what do we have? I know of many cases where young Girls have been put in the Family way by Teachers, people who were supposed to impart knowledge on them. Instead, Teachers have become poachers of our Children and they have ceased to offer leadership on us.

This is the University of Nairobi Chiromo Campus. It is one sure proof that a Clean Kenya is possible.

Doctors have been a special lot from time immemorial. They are a breed whose education cost us a fortune and in them, we have always seen life. But times have changed and carelessness has cropped up. Times when Doctors were the epitome of good life has changed, and now, cases where people die because of a Doctor’s negligence are on the rice. I have seen cases where surgical material are sewn up in a victim, just because the Doctor was absent minded as he attended to a surgical need. And their Board has never been helpful. And yet, they are leaders in our society.

We have Chairmen to our various Neighbourhood Associations, Saccos, Markets, Schools, Hospitals, name it. These are Leaders in their own rights. And they have a following, men and women who listen to their wise Counsel. When did they all relegate their leadership roles and surrendered everything to the politician?

As we approach celebrating our Silver Jubilee as a Country, can we demystify Leadership and reduce Political Leadership to be at par with any other leadership?

We all know that leadership comes with defined roles. And as for the case of Political Leadership, it comes with heavier roles which should make one honoured with such service an Honourable Man, and this is why we call our Members of Parliament Honourable. But are they displaying such honour in their leadership?

We have looked down upon the various cadres of leadership in society to an extent that we have whittled down the effective check that was community leadership. I know for a fact how Council of Elders offered serious leadership to our people. But with time, we have eroded and encroached on their powers to an extent that the various Councils of Elders leadership has been reduced to puppeteering at best.

We can offer leadership by simply doing the right thing.

A BETTER WORLD AG_

We can also offer leadership through our reporting.

The Dandora Scars Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MOPD_eotqE

The Dandora Scars Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVzFxCZwjC0

And we can shape the destiny of a Country by mobilizing for a just course.

KCDN SUPPLEMENT

Let us all rise up and offer leadership at whatever levels we are. And let us not lord our leadership on others as if we know-it-all.

It is with this in mind that we keep sensitizing and mobilizing Kenyans to each play a role in making Kenya Clean. Mind how you handle your waste, what you do with it and what it can do for you.

Let us all work for a Clean Kenya as a Transformative Deliverable as we turn 50.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
Executive Director,

The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC

Tel; 0724 365 557
Email; komarockswatch@yahoo.com
Blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch. blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Mailing Group; friendsofkcdn@ yahoogroups.com

The Clean Kenya Campaign is an Initiative of The KCDN Kenya.

CHALLENGES FACING VATICAN II AFTER 50 YEARS

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday opened the synod, which brings together 260 archbishops, bishops and other senior clerics. The theme of the synod is “new evangelisation”. It comes at the time the Church’s conservative stance on issues such as women priests, divorce and contraception has become a big challenge.

When Pope John XXIII inaugurated Vatican II on October 11, 1962, the aim was to evangelize cultures within the “signs of the times. He maintained that if we’re going to live the gospel in the world then we have to look at what is happening in the world.

Among his stated objectives in calling the council were: to foster spiritual renewal; to renew commitment to world evangelism and develop strategy; to lay the groundwork for an eventual reunion of the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations; to make church doctrine more accessible and comprehensible; to simplify the constitution; to clarify the Church’s stand on moral issues in the postmodern world; and to emphasize and exemplify the overall unity of the Church.

Over the course of its four periods, the council produced four constitutions, nine decrees, and three declarations, as follows:

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: This document related chiefly to the nature and role of the church and its hierarchy. It included such things as the authority of bishops, the apostolate of the laity, the relationship of “separated” Christians and non-believers to the Catholic Church, social justice, missions, the relationship between church and state, and Mary as the mother of the church and a channel of grace.

Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation: This constitution focused on the nature of revelation. It looked at such issues as tradition in relation to Scripture, the inerrancy and historicity of the Bible, and the methods of teaching and promoting Scripture.

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: This constitution examined the forms, purpose and effectiveness of the liturgy. It was revolutionary in that it allowed for the use of the vernacular language in the mass, as well as the incorporation of local or national customs and the taking of both communion elements (wine and bread) by the laity. It affirmed the teaching and unifying value of communion.

Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today: This constitution addressed a number of issues relevant to contemporary society, such as the role of women, race relations, poverty, hunger, communism, the relationship of church and society, divorce, abortion, nuclear weapons, and population.

On the decrees- Pastoral Office of Bishops: As the name implies, this decree clarifies the roles and obligations of bishops, especially in the light of the new Dogmatic Constitution of the Church.

Ecumenism: This is one of the areas where the progressive mood of the council was most evident. Although the decree exhorts Catholics to be faithful to the truth as they have received it, it also encourages humility, charity and cooperation with regard to “separated brethren”.

Oriental Catholic Churches: This decree is similar in some ways to the Decree on Ecumenism, but it concerns itself specifically with the Church in the Far East. It gives Asian patriarchs similar standing with those of the West; accepts the need of Asian churches to adapt themselves to their own cultures rather than accept Latinization; accepts the validity of rites performed in non-Catholic Christian churches, and allows Catholics to participate in them when no Catholic priest is available.

Ministry and Life of Priests: This decree is for the priesthood what the Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops is for that particular group. It clarifies the roles, responsibilities and obligations of priests in the contemporary world.

Education for the Priesthood: Priestly education was seen as important by the council, because the revitalization of the church was in large part dependent on its priests. This decree dealt with the need to update seminary programs to equip priests for ministry in the postmodern world, and the need for a practical training period after seminary.

Adapted Renovation of the Life of Religious: In regard to membership in the various orders, the council affirmed the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. It was decided that constitutions of the orders should be updated to ensure both their adherence to their original spirit and their relevance in the postmodern world. Languishing communities should be forbidden from receiving any more novices. Communities with similar objectives should form associations.

Missionary Activity of the Church: This decree urged cooperation between missionary institutes and local ecclesiastical jurisdictions, adaptability to different cultures, dialogue with non-Christians, and the setting up of a central mission board.

Apostolate of the Laity: The theological basis and objectives of lay ministry were analyzed, and training for lay ministry was emphasized. In a significant move, the council affirmed what the Protestant reformers had proclaimed centuries before concerning the apostolate of the laity, or the priesthood of all believers.

Previously, the Church was considered to be made up of its hierarchy – clergy, religious, etc. – but not the laity. This decree affirms that all Christians continue in the calling of the original apostles in whatever walk of life they find themselves. Therefore, the definition of the Church was expanded to include the laity.

Media of Social Communication: This decree affirms the legitimacy of the use of the mass media in evangelization and the promotion of church objectives. It also recommends that a special office for media concerns be set up in Rome, with national offices in each country. Additional recommendations were that an international Catholic news agency be founded, and that communications experts from various countries, including lay people, be recruited.

Religious Freedom declaration: This declaration comes to terms with the fact that the Catholic Church is no longer the political power that it was from the time of Constantine until the nineteenth century. It affirms that governments have no right to interfere with the personal religious convictions and practices of individuals or groups, except where it becomes a matter of public order. It urges governments to pass laws guaranteeing the free exercise of religion.

The Church’s Attitude toward Non-Christian Religions: This declaration reflects a new openness toward other religions. It affirms that all peoples have one community, origin, and goal.

Christian Education: This declaration affirms the right of all people to obtain an education and the obligation of national governments to ensure that basic education is provided, as well as the right to freedom of choice in education. The church has a right to use its own methods and principles at all levels of education, and can and should make recommendations and work in cooperation with other educational bodies. The church is responsible for upholding religious and moral principles in its own schools and encouraging them in others.

Since then the acceptance of modern media as tools for education, evangelism, promoting church unity, dissipation of information, and the furtherance of Catholic goals in society has been of great effect. John Paul II is a good example of a pope who, through extensive media exposure, became a familiar and influential person internationally.

He was very sensitive to the potential of the mass media for extending his message to the world, and he did not hesitate to use it for the furtherance of Catholic objectives. The ability to respond to the media in a positive way may, in the end, be the greatest asset to a church which is seen by many as out of touch.

While this has been effective however, a doctrine which was affirmed at Vatican II, but which is increasingly coming under fire, is the need for celibacy in the priesthood. There has been a marked decline in those wishing to enter the priesthood in recent years and the celibacy requirement is cited more often than any other as a reason for this.

Another challenge is an issue which has a direct bearing on the lives of the laity is that of birth control, in which all forms of artificial birth control were absolutely proscribed, despite the fact that the majority opinion of a special commission which had been called to give advice had advocated change.

Many Catholic theologians and laymen took strong exception to the encyclical, finding that it was not in keeping with the expectations created by the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

USA as a study case: While the number of priests in the United States more than doubled to 58,000, between 1930 and 1965, since then that number has fallen to 45,000. By 2020, there will be only 31,000 priests left, and more than half of these priests will be over 70.

Ordination: In 1965, 1,575 new priests were ordained in the United States. In 2002, the number was 450. In 1965, only 1 percent of U.S. parishes were without a priest. Today, there are 3,000 priestless parishes, 15 percent of all U.S. parishes.

Seminarian: Between 1965 and 2002, the number of seminarians dropped from 49,000 to 4,700, a decline of over 90 percent. Two-thirds of the 600 seminaries that were operating in 1965 have now closed.

Sisters: In 1965, there were 180,000 Catholic nuns. By 2002, that had fallen to 75,000 and the average age of a Catholic nun is today 68. In 1965, there were 104,000 teaching nuns. Today, there are 8,200, a decline of 94 percent since the end of Vatican II.

Religious Orders: For religious orders in America, the end is in sight. In 1965, 3,559 young men were studying to become Jesuit priests. In 2000, the figure was 389. With the Christian Brothers, the situation is even more dire.

Their number has shrunk by two-thirds, with the number of seminarians falling 99 percent. In 1965, there were 912 seminarians in the Christian Brothers. In 2000, there were only seven. The number of young men studying to become Franciscan and Redemptorist priests fell from 3,379 in 1965 to 84 in 2000.

Catholic Marriage: Catholic marriages have fallen in number by one-third since 1965, while the annual number of annulments has soared from 338 in 1968 to 50,000 in 2002.

Attendance at Mass: A 1958 Gallup Poll reported that three in four Catholics attended church on Sundays. A recent study by the University of Notre Dame found that only one in four now attend.

Only 10 percent of lay religious teachers now accept church teaching on contraception. Fifty-three percent believe a Catholic can have an abortion and remain a good Catholic.

Sixty-five percent believe that Catholics may divorce and remarry. Seventy-seven percent believe one can be a good Catholic without going to mass on Sundays. By one New York Times poll, 70 percent of all Catholics in the age group 18 to 44 believe the Eucharist is merely a “symbolic reminder” of Jesus.

Sources- http://www.townhall.com/columnists/patbuchanan/pb20021211.shtml

“Index of Leading Catholic Indicators: The Church since Vatican II” (113 pages) by Kenneth C. Jones.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

KENYA: CENTRAL PROVINCE ALCOHOL ABUSE DEBATE

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace

Regional News
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012

Concerns raised by Catholic Auxiliary Bishop David Kamau of Nairobi Archdiocese Sunday over heavy alcohol drinking culture among the residents of Central Province leading to most young people in the region not interested in marriage life is not something new.

While the habit is making young people not to marry, it is already causing a lot of problems in the family unit where most men have become sexually inactive. As a result women in the Central divorce or look for other men out of the region who can sire children with them.

Besides Niavasha Member of Parliament, John Mututho lobbying for alcohol law aiming at minimising drinking habit with view to save the families from the region, this has not done any impact at all.

Murang’a County is among the areas in Central Province worst affected by alcohol abuse especially among the youth. This has extended to Dagoreti constituency in Nairobi where pupils in various schools have the highest rate of alcohol consumption despite Ministry of Youth and Sports’ effort to introduce an age-group football tournament in Dagoretti and Lang’ata constituencies to raise awareness on drug and substance abuse among the youth.

While boys were found to generally take more alcohol in their lifetime, girls are reported to be taking more than the males in one sitting. The study identified several factors that could make a student turn to drugs: being male; living with a grandparent; professing the Christian faith and residing in Dagoretti among others.

Statistics from national census indicate that population growth in Central Kenya had declined from 1.8 percent in 1999 to 1.6 percent in the latest census in 2009. Enrollment in schools also on a downward trend due to reduced birth rate.

According to Central provincial Commissioner Kiplima Rugut, even though the number of bars in the province has significantly been reduced from 9,000 in 2007 to 4,950 by the liquor licencing committee he chairs, alcohol consumption in the region is still high.

Although the consumption of drugs and other related substances was practiced in African traditional societies, this was done within the set rules and regulations that governed the production and supply of these substances and also determined who was to use them.

Recent study found out that this controlled consumption of drugs was undermined by the coming of colonization in Kenya through the setting up of new social, political and economical structures. These structures commercialized the production and supply of some of these drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.

This study has established that drugs of abuse to be easily accessible to most of the adolescents in our learning institutions. The objectives of this study were to find out; the extent of drug abuse in teachers training colleges, sources of these drugs and to identify the factors that influence students to abuse drugs. The study was carried out in primary teacher colleges in Central Province of Kenya.

Although according to National Agency for Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) the Province leads in abuse of drugs in schools, with 68 per cent of students being exposed, this is not the first time drugs abuse related issues is being highlighted in the province.

Since May 2001 the alarming incidents of drugs abuse in the province have been hindering education programme in the area. The increase is also the main cause of unrest in schools.

According to preliminary findings, one of the reasons for this lawlessness according the then Education Permanent Prof Japheth Kiptoon is that a number of students do not see themselves as having any future that is why they ended up abusing drugs which led to unrest in schools.

Although in most communities in Africa, cultural traditions prohibit women from using drugs, today most girls in schools smoke and drink alcohol.

Findings of the National Baseline Survey, a research conducted by NACADA in 2001 show that on a national scale, 60 per cent of Kenyan students aged between 10-24 abuse alcohol, 57 per cent abuse tobacco, 22 per cent bhang and miraa while 6 per cent abuse inhalants.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

KENYA: WHY MPS MUST REJECT EDUCATION BILL

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From: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012

Although Catholic Bishops in Kenya have urged Member of Parliaments who are its members to oppose the controversial Education Bill 2012 that stop religious organisations from sponsoring public schools, this Bill must be rejected by all MPs and Kenyans. The bishops have asked MPs that are their faithful to oppose the Bill once it is presented for deliberations in Parliament.

[image]Some of the students at Bishop Sixto Mazzoldi High School, Ongata Rongai of Ngong Catholic Diocese pose for a photo at the Apostles of Jesus Shrine on August 27, 2012 shortly after the Holy Eucharist celebrations in memory of AJ founders-Bishop Mazzoldi and John Marengoni-25 and 5 years respectively. Most parents in Kenya would prefer to take their children in religious run institutions. The school is run by the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary/ Photo by Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ

If enacted, the Bill will bar religious organisations from playing key roles of spiritually nurturing learners to be good citizens. The bishops are afraid that if this succeeds, our schools will start producing Godless creatures and the society will be ruined.

Since Bishops are responsible for and sponsor one third of all schools in Kenya, they demand for fair representation on the Selection Panel of the National Education Board.
The Composition of the County Education Boards makes vague reference to representation of religious sponsors.

The Bill must take into account the Catholic Church’s massive investment in education infrastructure, human resources and presence even in the much marginalized places. The Catholic Church should be adequately represented in the County Education Boards.

Most of the Catholic sponsored schools are on land owned by the Church or land held in trust by the Church for the community. The Bill must ensure that the ownership rights of the religious sponsors are recognized and respected as per the Constitution.

All property owned, alienated and/or held in trust by a religious sponsor for the purposes of education shall continue to be owned, held and/or alienated by the religious sponsor and such property shall not be transferred or otherwise alienated for any other purpose. We cannot accept that our land will be taken by the government under any pretext because it is against the spirit and letter of the Constitution.

The Kenya National Association of Parents has also faulted the Bill clause that seeks to have parents prosecuted for failing to take their children to school. The association’s secretary general Musau Ndunda has defended parents saying citing factors like poverty and lack of enough teachers as some of the factors beyond the parents control that hinder from taking their children to school.

The Cabinet approved the Bill in August this year that makes it illegal for children to be out of school and imposes punitive jail terms and fines for parents and guardians who flout the law.

The Basic Education Bill 2012 which was adopted at a meeting chaired by President Mwai Kibaki wants parents or guardians who decline sending their children to school to be thrown in jail for five years or a fine not exceeding Sh100,000 or in extreme cases, both.

According to the Constitution of Kenya Adopted August 2010 on Education, 43(1) every person has the right—(f) to education. 21 (1) states that it is a fundamental duty of the State and every State organ to observe, respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights and fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights.

On Religion it states that there shall be no State religion. 32. (1) every person has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion. (2) Every person has the right, either individually or in community with others, in public or in private, to manifest any religion or belief through worship, practice, teaching or observance, including observance of a day of worship.

(3) A person may not be denied access to any institution, employment or facility, or the enjoyment of any right, because of the person’s belief or religion. (4) A person shall not be compelled to act, or engage in any act, that is contrary to the person’s belief or religion.

237. (1) There is established the Teachers Service Commission. (2) The functions of the Commission are— (a) to register trained teachers; (b) to recruit and employ registered teachers; (c) to assign teachers employed by the Commission for service in any public school or institution; (d) to promote and transfer teachers; (e) to exercise disciplinary control over teachers; and (f) to terminate the employment of teachers.

(3) The Commission shall––(a) review the standards of education and training of persons entering the teaching service; (b) review the demand for and the supply of teachers; and (c) advise the national government on matters relating to the teaching profession.

There is nowhere in provision where religious sponsored schools have the role, not only on spiritual matters, but also in the decision of how the sponsored schools should be run and managed. It is the role of the state to run all schools and make policies.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

SEX AND THE CITY IN AFRICA

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From: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

The first look at a new web series directed by Clara Benice, written by Nicole Amarteifio, and starring Nana Mensah, MaameYaa Boafo, Esosa Edosomwan, Edwina Adama Lebbie, and Miriam Chemmoss is a big challenge.
[image]

The series’ creators describe it as follows: Think ‘Sex and the City’ meets Africa! Five beautiful, successful African females return to their home continent and confide about love and life in ‘An African City’! Episode 1 has debuted and you can watch it in its entirety below: Watch Episode 1 Of New Web Series ‘African City’ (‘Sex … – indieWIRE

It is a big challenge because when we study sexuality, our own cultural concepts and expression of sexuality do not only influence who we study and what we find, our cultural lenses also influence which forms of sexual attitudes, behaviours, communication and expressions are true, real and acceptable to us.

For many people, other interpretations and expressions of sexuality that are not in accordance with their own views and beliefs of what sexuality should be are regarded as “dangerous,” are looked on with suspicious askance or are sternly disapproved.

That is why Africans don’t like talking about sex with people they barely know. Most African women will not ask for further clarification because Africans don’t talk directly about sex.

That is also why when Ylva-Maria Thompson opened the world’s first international sex school recently to teach its students how to be better lovers the school it was challenged by some conservative communities looking at it as a centre to promote promiscuity.

The Austrian International Sex School in Vienna offers ‘hands on’ lessons in seduction for £1,400 a term. The ‘headmistress’ says anyone over the age of 16 can enroll at ‘the world’s first college of applied sexuality’.

Students live in a mixed sex dormitory block where they’re expected to practise their homework. And at the end of the course, they are awarded a qualification. The new school head says: ‘Our core education is not theoretical, but very practical. The emphasis is on how to be a better lover.

Core curriculum includes sexual positions, caressing techniques, orgasm studies, anatomical features, oral sex, anal sex and creative sex. The school has already been controversial in Austria where raunchy adverts showing a couple making love have already been banned by Austrian TV. The school is already swamped with applicants.

Although the school has been condemned by some conservative communities, Swedish-born “headmistress” Ylva-Maria Thompson, who is also an artist, felt that there was a lack of applied sexuality classes around the world and wanted to start a school that specializes in this unique discipline.

According to Prof John Mbiti, for Africans sex cannot be discussed publicly because the ethics and morals of African religiosity are embedded in values, customs, traditional laws, and taboos. God is ultimately the Giver of morality and he is ultimately watching over the moral life of the community, society, and humankind.

That is why most of African communities from time to time believe that God may punish the wider society or give warnings through calamities, epidemics, drought, war, and famine, if moral order is severely broken.

That is also why for most Africans the home and the community instill moral teaching, generally from the older to the younger members, through word and example and not in class or public.

Initiation ceremonies (some of which may last several years) are the formal communal occasions for instilling moral values in young people and passing on to them important traditions. Stories, proverbs, wise sayings and taboos are employed in the teaching of morals as well as for entertainment.

Where the basic philosophy of life is “I am because we are,” it is extremely important that the two dimensions of “I am” and “We are” be carefully observed and maintained for the survival of all.

According to the Catholic Church’s traditional teaching about sex education, especially as formulated by Popes Pius XI and Pius XII, is that it should not be primarily a matter of giving explicit “information” at all, but rather it should be a matter of inculcating modesty, purity, chastity, and morality, a matter of teaching the sixth and ninth commandments.

Moreover, it should also be primarily a matter for the parents to impart privately in the home, not something to be purveyed and discussed in mixed classrooms of boys and girls at impressionable ages.

Catholic Church’s traditional teaching about sex education is opposed to formal classroom programs in sex education because it includes minute descriptions of every type of modern contraceptive.

Pope John Paul II himself, in his fine 1981 apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio on the Christian family, while re-affirming that “sex education . . . is a basic right and duty of parents,” had conceded that it could also be carried out in “educational centers chosen and controlled by them,” provided it was “carried out under their attentive guidance.”

These two Roman documents were very careful to re-affirm the Church’s traditional emphasis on parental rights and responsibilities, as well as her traditional strictures against classroom sex instruction; but they also recognized the difficulty for families today to carry out their responsibilities in today’s permissive society.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Watch Episode 1 Of New Web Series ‘African City’ (‘Sex … – indieWIRE
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-episode-1-of-new-web-series-african-city-sex-the-city-in-africa

MUSLIM WAR IS AGIANST OBAMA NOT MOHAMMED

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From: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

Something very big is going on in the Muslim world and this is not about an inflammatory film on Prophet Mohammed, it is the war against US President Barrack Obama.
[imgag] White House
[imgag] Pres. B. Obama

The Muslims hate Obama for having used diplomatic pressure to oust the Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, clearing the way for the Islamic radicals, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, to win the subsequent parliamentary and presidential elections.

Their argument is based on the fact that using the rhetoric of democracy Obama allied himself in Egypt with the democracy protesters. Yet when there were equally massive demonstrations in Iran a year and a half earlier, aimed at ousting the regime of the mullahs, Obama urged caution and restraint. He refused to embrace the protesters.

Although this could be explained as reflecting Obama’s unshakeable commitment to democracy, but this commitment they say was absent during the massive popular demonstrations in Iran in 2009. Then Obama stayed out, even praising the reaction of the Iranian Supreme Leader, and eventually the democracy movement was crushed.

Similarly in Syria, Obama has shown himself clearly reluctant to get involved, providing only modest support to the rebels even in the wake of a massive military crackdown and tens of thousands of casualties.

In 2009 when Obama traveled to Cairo to deliver apologetic speech to Muslims they say, he did not only invite the banned Brotherhood leaders to attend but deliberately snubed Mubarak, who was neither present nor mentioned.

In the speech they say Obama blamed Mideast hostility toward Israel and the West on “colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims.” He also vowed to withdraw U.S. troops from Muslim lands and push for creation of a Palestinian state, proclaiming that the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.

The Muslims were angered by Obama’s action in 2009 to appoint a Brotherhood-tied Islamist — Rashad Hussain — as U.S. envoy to the Saudi-based Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, which works closely with the Brotherhood.

Hussain did not only travel to Egypt shortly after his appointment to meet with the Brotherhood’s grand mufti, but also the Secretary of State Clinton lifts visa ban on Egyptian-born grandson of Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna. Tariq Ramadan, a suspected terrorist on the U.S. watchlist, the Muslims claim was warmly received in Washington.

The protest was extended to Nigeria on Saturday where tens of thousands of people protested in Nigeria’s second city of Kano, burning images of Barack Obama and stomping on the American flag to denounce an anti-Islam film made in the US.

A crowd that included men, children and veiled women stretched for several kilometres (miles) through the city, the largest in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north, condemning the film. They shouted “death to America, death to Israel and death to the enemies of Islam.

The demonstration was organised by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, a pro-Iranian group that adheres to the Shiite branch of Islam. Some pictures of Obama were set alight, while others were dragged through the dirt and stomped on by protesters shouting “enemy of Islam.”

American and Israeli flags were also defaced and Iranian flags were waved in the air as the group marched towards a palace owned by the Emir of Kano, the top religious figure in the region.

Protester Husseini Ibrahim claimed that the “blasphemy” in the film regarding the Prophet Mohammed is “like an invitation to war. Nigeria’s 160 million people are roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, and Muslim-Christian tensions have often led to deadly confrontation.

Kano was the site of the deadliest ever attack by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, blamed for more than 1,400 deaths in Nigeria since 2010. The group killed at least 185 people in the city in January in a series of gun and bomb attacks.

White House officials on Friday asked You Tube to review an anti-Muslim video cited as fueling violent protests worldwide, but according to The New York Times, the Google-owned site doesn’t have any intention of taking it down.

Messages to YouTube, and Google, which owns the site, were not immediately returned Friday. On Wednesday, a YouTube spokesperson said the video “is clearly within our guidelines and so will stay on YouTube.”

YouTube’s Community Guidelines “encourage free speech” and “defend everyone’s right to express unpopular points of view,” but they disallow “hate speech” — defined as “speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity.”

YouTube has blocked the video in Egypt and Libya, and the government of Afghanistan has taken steps to block YouTube entirely. However, it’s still accessible elsewhere in the world as of Friday afternoon. Proxy software can allow access to the video in countries where it’s blocked.

The video is allegedly a 14-minute trailer for a full-length film and has been blamed for inciting unrest in Egypt, Libya and elsewhere.

This is not the first time Muslims have been angered by America. A controversial Florida pastor who staged another Koran-burning ceremony to protest about the imprisonment of a Christian clergyman in Iran is also on the spot.

Terry Jones caused international outrage and violent protests when he filmed the burning of the Islamic holy book last March, set several copies of the Koran on fire.

During the ceremony, where Jones became a ‘judge’ in a ‘trial’ of the Koran, he demanded the release of Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian pastor who was jailed for converting from Islam to Christianity.

The church’s website said that a few people left the building as the Koran, which had been soaked in kerosene, was set alight. An image of the Muslim prophet Muhammad was also burned.

The Pentagon had earlier implored Jones to reconsider burning the holy book arguing that the lives of American soldiers fighting abroad could be put at risk.

Recently there was uproar over Pope BenedictXVI’s speech, an inflammatory remark about Islam. The problem began when the pope travelled to Bavaria for six days of speeches and celebrations in and around his hometown, he wasn’t expecting controversy.

His statement hurt the sentiments of Muslims. Muslims demanded the Pope retract his remarks in the interest of harmony among different religions of the world. The leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Mahdi Akef called for an apology.

A statement on the organization’s web site said the pope’s remarks “threaten world peace” and expressed surprise “that such remarks come from someone who sits on top of the Catholic Church which has its influence on the public opinion in the West.”

Leaders from Turkey to Indonesia made similar criticisms, and the Vatican was forced to try and explain the comments. A statement from the pope’s chief spokesman, the Reverend Federico Lombardi, said the pope wanted to “cultivate an attitude of respect and dialogue” toward other religions “and obviously also toward Islam.” Lombardi added, “What is important to the pope is a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation of violence.”

“It was certainly not the intention of the Holy Father to do an in-depth study of jihad and Muslim thinking in this field and still less so to hurt the feelings of Muslim believers,” Lombardi said in a statement.

The protests are taking place when the question of whether Jesus got married is emerging. According to new papyrus fragment Jesus got married to Mary Magdalene. The fragment contradicts the theory of the theologian known as Clement of Alexandria around 200 A.D. that Jesus did not marry.

Resources about the fourth-century papyrus fragment available here are images of the fragment and a translation of the text; information (in question-and-answer format) about the fragment; and a draft of Karen L. King’s article about the gospel papyrus.

[imgag]
The Muslims hate Obama for having used diplomatic pressure to oust the Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, clearing the way for the Islamic radicals, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, to win the subsequent parliamentary and presidential elections.

American and Israeli flags were also defaced and Iranian flags were waved in the air as the group marched towards a palace owned by the Emir of Kano, the top religious figure in the region.

The video is allegedly a 14-minute trailer for a full-length film and has been blamed for inciting unrest in Egypt, Libya and elsewhere.

Terry Jones caused international outrage and violent protests when he filmed the burning of the Islamic holy book last March, set several copies of the Koran on fire.

The church’s website said that a few people left the building as the Koran, which had been soaked in kerosene, was set alight. An image of the Muslim prophet Muhammad was also burned.

The Pentagon had earlier implored Jones to reconsider burning the holy book arguing that the lives of American soldiers fighting abroad could be put at risk.

[imgag]Papyrus fragment: front. Karen L. King 2012

[imgag] ancient doc. & translation

What Karen King revealed on Tuesday was a tiny papyrus fragment with Coptic script on both sides. On one side the fragment includes about 30 words on eight fragmentary lines of script. The New York Times described the fragment as “smaller than a business card, with eight lines on one side, in black ink legible under a magnifying glass.” The lines are all fragmentary, with the third line reading “deny. Mary is worthy of it,” and the next reading “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife.'” The fifth states, “she will be able to be my disciple.”

The papyrus fragment, believed to be from the fourth century, was delivered to Professor King by an anonymous source who secured the artifact from a German-American dealer, who had bought it years ago from a source in East Germany.

As news reports made clear, the fragment is believed by many to be an authentic text from the fourth century, though two of three authorities originally consulted by the editors of the Harvard Theological Review expressed doubts. Such a find would be interesting, to be sure, but hardly worthy of the international headlines.

The little piece of ancient papyrus with its fragmentary lines of text is now, in the hands of the media, transformed into proof that Jesus had a wife, and that she was most likely Mary Magdalene.

The thread that ties all these texts and arguments together is the 1945 discovery of some 52 ancient texts near the town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt. These texts are known to scholars as Gnostic literature. The texts present heretical narratives and claims about Jesus and his message, and they have been a treasure trove for those seeking to replace orthodox Christianity with something different.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

USA: “Jihad” bound for New York City subway stations

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From: Judy Miriga

Good People,

This Add is damaging, is intolerance, is digging for disaster and conflicts, is selfish and insensitive, is inciting, it infuriates, is Satanic with intent to stirring Religious war theorized by terror psycho-minded for selfish motives and is influenced by desperate illogical low morals. This attitude and behavior must be condemned by all peace loving people in a united front and is not acceptable in modern world and by all good people. What is wrong is wrong irrespective of free speech.

There is law that we all must abide in. If anyone is aggrieved, let them go to court and avoid confrontations.

This behavior is against moral dignity for decency and is against democratic values we all cherish. Each and everyone need peace of mind and respect. It is unfair and unfavorable to all who care for Unity of Purpose for good of all. It is a very provocative and inclusively insultive. Its motive is to put President Obama at loggerheads with people of Faith and fail his 4 year return to complete his plan to Reform America and the world to enjoy ultimate Peace and Unity to a progressive destiny and it is wrong by all standards……..It should not be like this people……!!!!

Let us avoid inching to destruction for the love of money, wealth and power but respect each other’s Religion or Faith beliefs and stop this nonsense, it is simply a prescription for doom…….

Law and Order must be guaranteed and it must take centre stage for peace to take control of unbecoming behavior…….and definately this behaviour is against peace.

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

– – – – – – – – – – –

Ads criticizing “Jihad” bound for New York City subway stations
By Edith Honan | Reuters – Wed, Sep 19, 2012

NEW YORK (Reuters) – As Muslim countries reverberate with fierce protests over a film mocking the Prophet Mohammad, an ad equating Islamic jihad with savagery is due to appear next week in 10 New York City subway stations despite transit officials’ efforts to block it.

The city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority had refused the ads, citing a policy against demeaning language. The American Freedom Defense Initiative, which is behind the ad campaign, then sued and won a favorable ruling from a U.S. judge in Manhattan.

According to court documents, the ad reads: “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel/Defeat Jihad.”

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said the ads would be displayed starting on Monday, but he could not say at which stations.

“Our hands are tied. The MTA is subject to a court ordered injunction that prohibits application of the MTA’s existing no-demeaning ad standard,” said Donovan.

In July, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that the ad was protected speech. While agreeing with the MTA that the ad was “demeaning a group of people based on religion,” Engelmayer ruled that the group was entitled to the “highest level of protection under the First Amendment.”

The American Freedom Defense Initiative gained notoriety when it opposed creation of a Muslim community center near the site of the Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Pamela Geller, who heads the American Freedom Defense Initiative, could not immediately be reached for comment. In July, she called the judge’s ruling “a great victory” for free speech.

Ibrahim Hooper, the spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, urged the MTA to donate any proceeds it collects to a “cause that promotes mutual understanding.”

“It’s like the anti-Islam film that is creating controversy. It is designed to offend, designed to provoke,” Hooper said of the New York ad campaign.

A torrent of violence erupted last week after the short, poor-quality film made in California was posted on the Internet.

Demonstrations have rocked Muslim countries and last week the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed in an attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. and other embassies have been attacked elsewhere.

On Wednesday, a French magazine published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, drawing harsh criticism from Muslim leaders.

(Reporting By Edith Honan; Editing by Dan Burns)

MODERN MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT JESUS

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From: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR MAGNUS KOBBI, AJ
AUSTRALIA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

If Jesus were to live today in our 21st century perhaps His question would be like this: Who do the modern media communications say that I am? What does Sydney Times, Monitor Newspaper Uganda, Time magazines etc write about me and my followers? What programmes are the radios and TVs broadcasting about me? What information is available about my personal life, character, preaching and work on the Internet? What are the modern preachers saying about me? Etc.

I think it’s good to look at the questions of Jesus in our modern context because there is credibility gap that exists between the communications media and the people. Many people are sceptical about what appears in modern news papers. This is because these claimed printed truths often depend not on objective reality but on the party line, on the views of those who fund it.

Even the radios and TVs are fashioned according to the desires of the advertisers. Even the internet which was in the beginning thought to bring out the whole truth is being doubted today because we don’t know which information we get in the net is reliable and which is not.

The question Jesus put to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi shows that Christ was not satisfied by the answers that came from the communications media of his time; namely oral communication, hearsay or even gossips. And so he asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” This is seemingly easy question if one answers it merely from the head. I would say the answer of Peter seems very much from the head he says, “You are the Christ”. We need to remind ourselves that it is easy for us too to answer this question from the head only.

It is difficult to answer this question because our response to it should come both from the head and the heart. As we can see when Peter is faced with a situation to answer this question from the heart he started to become shaky. Jesus Christ seems to tell Peter what it means to be “The Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One”, what being the Christ involve. Like Peter we may look at Christ as a great political leader, unconquerable, one who must not suffer etc.

Therefore, Jesus tells Peter clearly the truth; “That he will have to suffer many things, and be rejected by the priests and the scribes. He will be killed but after 3 days he will rise to life again.”

What is the answer of Peter to this truth? He could not handle it so he started rebuking Jesus. Consequently, Jesus comes up with stronger words; “Get behind me Satan, because your attitude show that you are not on the side of God. Yours is a very human and worldly way of looking at me as the Christ.”

My brothers and sisters we are challenged today to give our answers individually to this question of Jesus “Who do you say I am?” Each of us is to give his/her own answer, not borrowed from others, books, philosophy, theology or the media. Our answers must come from personal convictions and experiences not just from the head only but also from the heart.

This means our answers have to be not mere intellectual and theoretical answers. But answers that accept Jesus as our saviour, Messiah and leader and so answers that bring in our lives real concrete changes in the way we live, we pray, we forgive and bring changes in the way we work to challenge the evils in us, in our family, our community, our country and our world today.

We have to give answers that inspire us to lead our lives according to the spirit of poverty, chastity, and obedience. This is what it means to follow Christ’s way of the cross, to be able to commit ourselves fully to God and His Kingdom. All of us can do this, but only if we answer the question both from our head and our heart.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

POPE BENEDICT’S SUCCESSION DEBATE EMERGES AS HE GETS WEAKER

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon looking tired and weak-using a cane. When the pope visited Cuba recently he also used a cane. This is not the first time the pope looks worn out. People who have spent time with him say they found him weaker than they’d ever seen him, seemingly too tired to engage with what they were saying.

In December last year he started using a moving platform to spare him the long walk down St. Peter’s Basilica. This brings us to the big question whether the Catholics should worry about Pope Benedict XVI’s health as he enters his late 80s? Should Pope Benedict XVI consider resigning before he has any major health issues?

Benedict turned 85 in the New Year. He was the oldest Pope to be elected in around 300 years. Although the Pope himself could open the door to his possible retirement, people surrounding him would see this as a defeat on his part.

But if he clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign.

If he decides to do so, then Pope Benedict would be the first Pope to do so since 1415 during the Great Western Schism, partly because the church’s catechism may be confused with two popes living simultaneously and party because the dental plan is so good.

The Vatican is playing down comments that Pope Benedict is looking thinner, tired and weak, and therefore he cannot resign despite the fact that people who have spent time with him and watching his every movement say they do perceive him weaker, seemingly too tired to engage.

Prior to his election as the pope, speculations have been going around that if he world’s cardinals decided to return the papacy to the Italians, one possible candidate was Cardinal Camillo Ruini, papal vicar of Rome. He has been a vocal and vigorous opponent of Italian legislative efforts or other proposals that would threaten human life and weaken the traditional definition of the family.

German Cardinal Walter Kasper who was known for his warm smile, keen intellect and deep commitment to Christian unity was also seen as possible Cardinal to succeed Pope John Paul II.

Since 2001 then 72-year-old theologian has been president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and president of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.

While devoting his energy to seeking unity with other Christians, Cardinal Kasper has made it clear that the unity Christ desires for his disciples must be based on faith, not compromise.

Portuguese Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins’ name also started popping up on lists of possible papal candidates. His personal warmth and his focus on holiness, combined with his contacts with missionaries around the world and his experience in the Congregation for Catholic Education had drawn the notice of the media and of his fellow cardinals.

Another possible candidate was Cardinal Francisco Errazuriz Ossa of Santiago. He had stressed national reconciliation in efforts to address human rights violations. In early 2000, he convinced the nation’s bishops to allow Chilean priests to become available to listen to anyone having information regarding the fate of people who disappeared during the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

On the other hand, Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet, a polyglot academic who briefly served as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, started showing up on Italian newspapers’ top-12 list three days before the April 18 conclave.

Amid political and religious strife in his native Indonesia, Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja of Jakarta who has been a voice of moderation, calling for tolerance and dialogue was also another possible candidate.

During civil unrest in 1998, when President Suharto resigned, he issued a joint statement with a Muslim leader, calling on the government and the military to end the violence. He also urged that mosques destroyed in the rioting be rebuilt.

With both curial and pastoral experience, Brazilian Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo who was seen as a leader who can bridge the universal and local church also appeared on the list. Cardinal Agnelo, 71 by then, spent nearly eight years as secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments before his 1999 assignment as head of Brazil’s oldest diocese, Sao Salvador da Bahia.

If cardinals look to the continent where Catholicism is growing the fastest for the next pope, they might zero in on Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi of Douala, Cameroon. Then 74-year-old West African cardinal speaks seven languages and has firsthand experience with two of the most difficult problems facing the Catholic Church in the third millennium — relations with Muslims and vocations.

A former seminary rector and philosophy teacher, Cardinal Tumi is actively concerned with the proper formation of priests and has strongly defended church teachings on priestly celibacy.

As archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi who had become one of the strongest and most articulate pastoral voices in Italy, building a reputation as a conservative on doctrine and a liberal on social issues was also listed as possible candidate.

The author of more than 25 books, then 71-year-old cardinal is considered one of the church’s top experts in bioethics, marriage and family ministry, the lay apostolate and youth formation. He is said to have been a leading behind-the-scenes contributor to Pope John Paul’s 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”).

Cardinal Angelo Scola, the patriarch of Venice, a scholarly pastor intent on raising the church’s cultural and social profile was also on the list. Inside and outside the church, observers sometimes describe Cardinal Scola as a cultural warrior with a penchant for bluntness.

Another possible candidate was Archbishop of Vienna and president of the Austrian bishops’ conference Cardinal Christoph Schonborn. Beyond his pastoral trials, then 60-year-old Dominican has the talents and experience.

Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa who has emerged as one of the College of Cardinals’ strongest Latin American voices, especially on social justice issues was also listed as possible candidate.

He has called poverty and social injustice the real “weapons of mass destruction” in the 21st century, and in 2004 he said hunger and hardship were the truly “subversive” elements in Latin American society.

Bosnian Cardinal Vinko Puljic who was appointed archbishop of Sarajevo as the end of communism in Eastern Europe and brought hopes for peace, freedom and the respect of human rights in what was then Yugoslavia was also on the list.

Although no longer considered a leading candidate to become pope, the late Italian Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini was on the list. Cardinal Martini, 78 then who retired as archbishop of Milan in 2002 and began living most of each year in Jerusalem continued his Scripture scholarship and prayers for peace.

Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, retired archbishop of Paris, who has been the voice of French Catholics for almost a quarter century, particularly defending the right of believers to have a say in public debates was also a listed as possible candidate.

Born into a Jewish family, the cardinal has also been outspoken in condemning anti-Semitism and promoting dialogue with Jews and with the nation’s growing Muslim community.

The next was Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes. He safeguarded the dignity of the human person by protecting the family and promoting employment. Then 70-year-old Franciscan was also known as a peacemaker who had mediated labor disputes, welcomed new Catholic movements into the church without pushing aside older groups, and worked to promote Christian unity and better relations with the Jews.

Experience as an archbishop, as a Vatican diplomat and in the Roman Curia gave Indian Cardinal Ivan Dias of Mumbai was also a possible candidate. The next one was Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels. He had voiced concern over the vocations crisis, saying it stands like a wall against the church’s future development.

As Cardinal Anthony Okogie of Lagos put it bravely that the hope of an African Pope for the Church are very slim because the number of African cardinals in the church today is negligible, then the Cardinal who would have succeeded Pope John Paul II was Cardinal Francis Arinze. Since October 2002 he had headed the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, which in 2004 issued an important document that took aim at a wide range of liturgical abuses.

Other possible candidates included Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, head of the Mexico City Archdiocese, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, archbishop of Prague, Czech Republic and Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez who leads the Archdiocese of Guadalajara.

A longtime theologian and author, Portuguese Cardinal Jose da Cruz Policarpo of Lisbon, Portugal was also on the list. Italian Cardinal Ennio Antonelli of Florence was also mentioned occasionally.

Although it has been speculated that the Cardinal to succeed Pope Benedict XVI is the New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the fact that of the 22 new cardinals created by the pope recently, seven are Italian, adding to the eight voting-age Italian cardinals chances are minimal.

Another reason why Dolan may not make it is the fact that he comes from the super power country, a country with systemic power, in almost every continent, including a top-tier industrial economy, a comprehensive global military footprint, a country with ability to defend itself against any other power and enormous cultural attraction.

The allegation that when he was the archbishop of Milwaukee he anthologized payments of much as $20, 000 to sexually abusive priests is also another barrier. Although he has categorically denied the allegation, a document unearthed during bankruptcy proceedings for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and made public by victims’ advocates reveals that the archdiocese did make such payments to multiple accused priests to encourage them to seek dismissal, thereby allowing the church to remove them from the payroll.

A spokesman for the archdiocese confirmed in May 2012 that payments of as much as $20,000 were made to “a handful” of accused priests “as a motivation” not to contest being defrocked. The process, known as “laicization,” is a formal church juridical procedure that requires Vatican approval, and can take far longer if the priest objects.

The minutes say that those at the meeting discussed a proposal to “offer $20,000 for laicization ($10,000 at the start and $10,000 at the completion the process).” Instead of salary, they would receive a $1,250 monthly pension benefit, and, until they found another job, health insurance.

Born on Feb. 6, 1950, Timothy Dolan was among the 22 cardinals named by Pope Benedict XVI. They were formally entered into the College of Cardinals in February 2012. Only three of the new cardinals come from outside the West: João Bráz de Aviz, a Brazilian who heads the Vatican office for religious life; John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong; and George Alencherry, archbishop of the Syro-Malabar church in India.

The following is the complete list of new cardinals announced by the pontiff, during his Angelus address marking the Feast of the Epiphany:

18- new cardinal electors

1. Fernando Filoni (Italian), Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

2. Manuel Monteiro de Castro (Portuguese), Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary

3. Santos Abril y Castelló (Spanish) , Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major

4. Antonio Maria Vegliò (Italian), President of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Refugees

5. Giuseppe Bertello (Italian), President of the Government of the Vatican City State

6. Francesco Coccopalmerio (Italian), President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts

7. João Bráz de Aviz (Brazilian), Prefect of the Congregation for Religious

8. Edwin O’Brien (American), Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre

9. Domenico Calcagno (Italian), President of the Apostolic Patrimony of the Holy See

10. Giuseppe Versaldi (Italian), President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See

11. George Alencherry (Indian), Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church in India

12. Thomas Collins (Canadian), Archbishop of Toronto

13. Dominik Duka (Czech), Archbishop of Prague

14. Wim Eijk (Dutch), Archbishop of Utrecht

15. Giuseppe Bettori (Italian), Archbishop of Florence

16. Timothy Dolan (American), Archbishop of New York

17. Rainer Maria Woelki (German), Archbishop of Berlin

18. John Tong Hon (Chinese), Bishop of Hong Kong

Four honorary cardinals:

1. Archbishop Lucian Mure?an, Major Archbishop of F?g?ra? ?i Alba Iulia (Romanian)

2. Monsignor Julien Ries (Belgian)

3. Augustinian Fr. Prosper Grech (Maltese)

4. Jesuit Fr. Karl Becker (German)

Appointments brought the total number of voting-age cardinals to 126, six more than the ceiling of 120 established by Pope Paul VI.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

KENYA: TIME NUNS REALIZED LIFE IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN FEAR OF SEX

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

About ten innocent schoolgirls in Asumbi Boarding Primary School in Homa Bay County last night died when their dormitory caught fire. The nun in charge of the school locked the dormitory and went with the key to the convent.

The reason for locking the dormitory is for fear that girls might sneak out and have sex with boys in the neighborhood. Had the doors been opened these innocent girls would have not perished. Furthermore the convent and the school are far away so the nuns could not hear girls scream.

Although nuns are women who have taken vow of chastity, it would be very naïve to project it to pupils. These girls are growing up and the only way to help them is to educate them on positive approach to their sexuality. Negative approach towards sex will do them more harm than good.

Nuns view on sexuality is drawn from Christian tradition which sees chastity as synonymous with sexual purity. Chastity means not having any sexual relations before marriage. That is why in most schools run by nuns they must make sure that girls and boys remain chaste and any danger that can tempt to break this norm must be avoided at all means.

In Catholic teaching, chastity is placed opposite the deadly sin of lust, and is classified as one of seven virtues. The moderation of sexual desires is required to be virtuous.
Where reason, will and desire can harmoniously have failed to work together to do what is good then measures must be taken to protect the faithful from engaging in unlawful sexual activities.

While adultery is seen as a violation of a moral agreement with one’s spouse, and therefore forbidden, fornication is seen as a violation of the state of chastity. That is why sex is often seen as the root of all evil, or else as something too sacred to allow casual or irreverent exercise of. They see the minds, souls, and bodies of people as belonging to God (or gods), or else, to their spouses, families, communities, nations, civilizations, or humanity as a whole.

Against the background that most religions have rigid, elaborate rules about sexual conduct. The rule is most commonly translated “Do not indulge in sexual misconduct” or “Do not misuse sex.”

It is also why monks and nuns who engage in sexual intercourse are considered “defeated” and are expelled automatically from the order. If a monk makes sexually suggestive comments to a woman, the community of monks must meet and address the transgression.

A monk should avoid even the appearance of impropriety by being alone with a woman. Nuns may not allow men to touch, rub or fondle them anywhere between the collar-bone and the knees. Usually they are encouraged to walk in group of two so as you are protected from sexual dangers.

Even though with the vow of obedience religious are supposed to obey their superiors, nuns in Asumbi disobeyed Education Minister, Mutula Kilonzo who gave directives that holiday tuition should be stopped.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

RECONCILIATION IN THE HEART OF CHRIST

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
MOLO-KENYA
MONDAY, 20, 12

Blessed John Paul II Parish Evangelizing Teams held their twelfth National Workshop at Ukarimu Centre in Molo, Nakuru Catholic Diocese from August 16 to 19 2012. The theme of the workshop centered on Christ the Heart of African life, the source of reconciliation-justice and peace.

Blessed John Paul II Parish Evangelizing Teams in a group photo-photo by Mwalimu Rurinja

Rev Fr Richard Quinn of the Maryknoll missionaries, the Spiritual Director of the team said the theme was a fulfillment of the Second Special Assembly for Africa whose main emphasis was on paths towards Reconciliation, Justice and Peace.

Since the Christian family is called to be a domestic church, a place where “all the members evangelize and are evangelized, it was appropriate that Blessed John Paul II Parish Evangelizing Teams to evangelize through families, especially Small Christian Communities.

Because young people represent the majority of the population of Africa, there was need for children to be targeted. Children attract the special attention of the Church because they are a gift of God, source of hope and renewal. That is why they must be given special protection by families and society, especially against various intolerable and deplorable forms of treatment.

This type of evangelization should be carried on in accordance to the signs, where children are taught how to think and not what to think. How we should evangeliz children fleeing their homes because of fear from various forms of abuse such as rape, sexual slavery, and child labor among others.

Another challenge is how to evangelize children from single parents whose demographics show a general increase. Today in Kenya there are many girls who drop out of school due to pregnancies. Some because of poverty engage in commercial sex.

In its introductory remarks, one of the African leading theologians, Rev Fr Laurenti Magesa in the book: Exploring the Future of Mission in Africa-in celebration of Maryknoll’s 100 years in mission, evangelization must have a new approach.

This is because mission is understood in a more compressive sense today than was the case only a few decades ago. While traditionally doing mission or being on or in mission calls on people to accept baptism in order to become visible members of the church, today as Magesa emphasizes evangelization should go beyond this narrow definition.

It should entail involvement in social, economic, and political issues as essential aspects. Evangelization strictly speaking should be centered on justice, peace and reconciliation within and among nations-on good governance, health matters, education, freedom, human rights, liberation and interreligious dialogue.

In other words, evangelization should aim at enabling people to continue to live and hope in a better future. Against the background that as Kenyans prepare for the forthcoming general elections, evangelization should focus on quality of a good leadership.

The question electorates should ask is this: Are any of the candidates of either party, or independents, standing has been implicated in any corruption, impunity, wither directly or indirect, or for something that is intrinsically evil. If that’s the case, electorate, regardless of his party affiliation, ethnic or regional, shouldn’t be voting for such a person.

Chapter Six of the New Constitution section seventy three defines the quality and responsibilities of good leadership as one’s ability to demonstrate respect for the people, brings honour to the nation and dignity to the office- a person who promotes public confidence in the integrity of the office and vests in the State officer the responsibility to serve the people, rather than the power to rule them.

A good leader therefore must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the people he or she serves toward the goal. Action here is the mark of a leader- a leader with integrity, the integration of outward actions and inner values- the same on the outside and on the inside.

Post election violence-2007/2008 took place due to bad leadership. The story of Nancy Wanjiru carried by Sunday Nation (August 5, 2012) tell it all. Her husband was not only beaten and left fro dead, she was raped, an incident that has caused her depression, trauma and shame.

PHOTO COURTESY | SALATON NJAU -Nancy Wanjiru 37, who was a victim of rape during the Post Elections Violence in 2008, is overcome by emotion when she narrated her ordeal to the Sunday Nation on August 1, 2012. Story by KIPCHUMBA SOME- Sunday, August 5 2012.

Flashback: The body of a woman lies on the floor as her child cries during ethnic clashes in 2008 as a result of negative ethnicity/ REUTERS

As Pope John Paul II expressed in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, the suffering of the African peoples is linked to bad leadership. This remains a major challenge to evangelizers in Africa.

In some African countries this type of bad leadership has led to persistent in social tensions that impede progress and give rise to political disturbances and armed conflicts. It explains why in some African countries continue to witness continuous violations of fundamental human rights as well as the related consequences.

Peace is often confused with a kind of unanimity or tranquillity imposed by force and keeping power in the hands of a single group to the detriment of the people. In such situations, citizens are unable to take part in public life and popular opinion cannot make a difference.

Kenya: Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre

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From: Sam Oyugi
Hallo,

Greetings. This is Dr. Oyugi. I have sent you two messages for posting. The title is

Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre (the new Starehe of Kenya) Harambee Is August 18, 2012. So far I have not seen the posting. If I am not following any specific rules of posting request, please kindly inform me. As it is, it is getting late and the fundraising is in two days. I’ll obviously be glad if the posting gets done before the event, preferably as soon as you can. Thanks.

Here again is the same attachment;

Sam Oyugi
732-857-0378

==========
Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre (the new Starehe of Kenya) Harambee Is August 18, 2012

Members of the Lowland Community, the organizing committee and Gethsemane Garden Christian Center students, staff and family are inviting you to a fundraiser in aid of the center on Saturday, August 18th, 2012 in New Jersey, USA starting at 5p.m. to 12 a.m. @ the American Legion Post 401, 148 Major Road, Monmouth Junction NJ 08852.

Gethsemane Garden Academy and Gethsemane Garden High School for orphans are the new Starehe of Kenya located on Mfangano Island in Suba District.

The center, which was started in 2003 for orphans from Kindergarten to third grade, has expanded to 12th grade or Form 4. It has been largely financially supported by well wishers from U.S. who have visited the school from time to time.

The center wants you to be part of its success as it makes history.

The school started from a humble beginning, a loving vision of supporting a few children who lost both parents to the dreaded HIV by a God chosen couple Mr. Naphtaly Mattah and his wife Nereah Mattah. Like the children of Israelite the number multiplied very fast and God’s miracle worked its way to now 535 students. Gethsemane now prides itself with strong candidates distributed in academic giants such as Alliance Boys and Girls, Starehe, Mangu, Moi Girls Eldoret, Maranda to mention a few. Below is the official website and videos of Gethsemane story:

www.ggcckenya.com

Video stories of the students of Gethsemane:
1. Orphans With AIDS Given Hope By GGCC

2. Gethsemane Garden Christian Center school of hope

3. Boat that brings people to God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asRuGPv_46A&feature=player_detailpage

Video songs of students of Gethsemane:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMNkhC9BhZk&feature=player_detailpage
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SPE3Hid_MGM
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uw21EIgi0ng
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QH2Ox54k9uE
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WXpNs8likgg
6. (In suba): http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZvB1mSiQmDw

It is for this reason that we are inviting you to help raise funds to continue supporting this noble cause.

Also during this event, you will have the opportunity of selecting a child to sponsor at GGCC and thereby have your family participate in raising up the child back in Kenya at very affordable monthly fee. GGCC has a tax exempt status in the USA. Therefore, all your donations on June 18th and any future support through child sponsorship or one time donation will be tax deductible.

Come and join some of the previous sponsors of the school on August 18th. It will be a good opportunity to join them in promoting the school and thanking them for their kind support for the last 12 years.

Guest of Honors will be:

Amos Atonga: New Jersey/ Rusinga Island
Dr. Sam Oyugi: New Jersey/ Mfangano Island
Dr. Joshua Ojwang: Florida/Mfangano Island
Maurice Onyuka New Jersey/Homa-Bay
Peter Menya New York/Migori

Yours sincerely,

Contacts:
Dr. Sam Oyugi 732-857-0378
Amos Atonga 732-586-2849

KENYA: KISUMU BASED CHURCH MEMBERS UP IN ARMS AGAINST SEX IMMORALITY

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By Our Reporter

Church Members of a Kisumu based Church situated along Kisumu Nairobi road are up arms against their church administrator over the recent appointment of a church Pastor and an overseer of Manyatta Parish Pastor Luke who they are accusing Of being a serial wife inheritor who should not be accorded the Privilege of being a God’s Minister.

Speaking to the press in Kisumu , the angered church members wondered
Why their church head had opted to remove their previous from the church over immorality and substitute a worse man in the who is a well known serial wife inheritor an adulterer with women and concubines in all of their churche branches.

“As we speak to you now there is a woman from Suba who is sister to
who worships in Mamboleo and he is having an affair With, the church members there are also contemplating walking out of should not do that with one of their church members” they added.

They however said that it’s lamentable that despite the issue being Brought to the attention of their church boss no action has so far been taken.

“You say he is one of your best interpreter and the issues should
Be ignored at the expense of the body of Christ, why? Are not the same
Allegations leveled against him made you transfer him from Kakamega” they asked their Bishop.

Contacted for his comment on the said allegations the said church head Bishop warned this writer of dire consequences should he go ahead and write the said Story.

“Try and write the story, you will know who I am “ he replied in one
Of the text short messages services on this journalist cell phone. The said church which is so beautiful with modern chairs is always empty on Sundays as most people have walked out of the church.

KENYA: WORSHIPERS TOOK TO THEIR HEELS AND FLED IN GREAT STAMPEDE AFTER A LION WAS SPOTTED ROAMING ABOUT WITHIN THE CHURCH COMPOUND IN NAKURU TOWN.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

WORSHIPPERS and faithful too to their heels and fled in great stampede in Western Kenya town of Nakuru about 100 kilometers southwest of the capital city, Nairobi after they found a wild lion had strayed I the church compound the previous night and was roaming about menacingly.

The incident took place last Sunday morning hours when the worshippers had arrived in the church for the morning service at St Nicholas Anglican Church of Kenya {ACK}, which is located at the Lakeview estate, not fat away fro Nakuru National Game Park.

A senior church elder Peter Mungoya told the newsmen that he had been alerted by and warned a fellow parishioner about the danger. The ma told me when I arrived or the morning service that a full grown lion had strayed into the church compound forcing some of the early arrivals to lock themselves inside the church hall.

“The church caretaker told us that he had spotted the lion sneaking into the church compound at about 4.AM {local times}and said the beast had e alerted the officials of the Kenya Wildlife Services {KWS}.

Lake Nakuru National Game Park warden in-charge Joseph Dadacha said the beast might have escaped fro the par after a fight with other lion over territorial disputes.’”We struggle to catch it, but when morning came we could not shoot it a we risked injuring members of the public”,said the game warden.

He said the lion would be relocated and taken to the animal orphanage to ensure its safety. The beast was later sedated. The KW official asked residents to report cases of stray wild animals to the KWS, and captured at the nearby Kimathi Primary School and returned to the game park.

Over the past few months several pythons have been caught in the nearby Flamingo an lake view estates within Nakuru town’s suburbs

At the same time a 12 year old school boy at Ogaka Primary School at Mikei village in Nyatike district within Migori County was devoured by a crocodile.

Distress calls was made by the locals who attracted many people I the nearby villages who managed to retrieve the minor’s body. Area police Chief Richard Bitonga immediately appealed to the locals to be careful when at the Crocodile infested River Migori.

In the recent past several isolated incidents involved Nile crocodile attacks and killing have bee reported in both Migori and Kuja rivers as well as in the nearby River Oyani. The deceased in this particular case had gone for a swim in the in Migori River in the company of two other boy after the school holiday started.

Meanwhile fears persist in NORTHEN Kenya covering following the reports of massive invasion by swarms of desert locusts.

Farmers at Kingilitis irrigation scheme in Loima district have raised fears that their crops yields would be lost this season if the authorities do not intervene.

Pouline Nakala an agronomist working I the region ha appealed to the government and door partners to salvage the situation before it gets out of hand.

“We are immediately sending the experts to go and assess the damage inflicted the crops by the pests we swing into action Province LEONARD Nyambuyathe regional director of Agriculture.

He added, “We are experiencing big loss of crop to the locusts invasion and we expect losing large quantity of crops this season.

Dr Poul Omanga of the Food and Agriculture Organization {FAO}promised that his organization would assist the Kenyan farmers in their fight against the pests. However, all agreed that the appearance of the desert locusts in the region posed a bi threat to food shortage and security I the region and needs concerted effort by all relevant stakeholder to brainstorm together for solutions.

End

POPE APPOINTS LIBERATION THEOLOGIAN HEAD OF DOCTRINE

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From: People For Peace
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
MONDAY, JULY 9, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI on Monday appointed a liberation German theologian, Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, previously the bishop of Regensburg, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, raising him to the dignity of Archbishop.

[2 images]Inset- from left to right- Archbishop Müller talking to journalists concerning sexual abuse and celibacy- Dominican Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez-the founder of liberation theology/ File

At 64, Bishop Müller is faced with a lot of challenges, ranging from overseeing a continuing investigation of the social justice work of nuns in the United States as well as the handling of clerical sexual abuse cases.

He replaces Cardinal William J. Levada, 76, the highest-ranking American in the Vatican hierarchy, who is retiring. He was more of an executor, whereas Müller, because of his own theological training and experience, is more in sync with Ratzinger according to Sandro Magister, a Vatican expert. Ratzinger held the post for 25 years.

Archbishop Müller is not only a long time friend of the pope he oversees the Benedict XVI Institute, which is publishing a 16-volume “Collected Writings of Joseph Ratzinger.

Liberation Theology is a movement that grew in Latin America in the 1980s, a movement Benedict harshly criticized for its Marxist leanings when he led the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Archbishop Müller is not only co-author of a book with the Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, the Peruvian priest considered the founder of liberation theology he hosted the pope’s 2006 visit to Regensburg, where Benedict delivered a speech in which he outraged Muslims by quoting a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who connected Islam with violence.

Another challenge Müller will be faced with is the overseeing talks with the Society of St. Pius X, a group that split from the Vatican to protest the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s-range of religious social activism: from liberation theology and feminist religion to ecotheology and peace activism.

By virtue of his office, Müller will also be the president of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”, the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and the International Theological Commission.

Although the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, spent much of his tenure at the congregation battling liberation theology, arguing that it misinterpreted Jesus’ preference for the poor into a call for rebellion, Father Gutierrez denied that liberation theology had ever reduced Christianity to politics or had ever embraced doctrinaire Marxism.

Like Benedict, Pope John Paul II made a number of statements criticising aspects of liberation theology that use Marxist principles to analyse political and social problems. He also warned priests against taking part in politics despite the fact that his pronouncements on economic justice and human rights are largely consistent with liberation theology.

Although the Vatican does not feel comfortable with liberation theology, theologians who support the movement argue that liberation theology should not be a threat to the Vatican since it interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions.

It has been described by proponents as “an interpretation of Christian faith through the poor’s suffering, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society and the Catholic faith and Christianity through the eyes of the poor”, and by detractors as Christianized Marxism.

Further more, liberation theology arose principally as a moral reaction to the poverty caused by social injustice in Latin America and the rest of other regions. In other words, liberation theology could be interpreted as a western attempt to return to the gospel of the early church where Christianity is politically and culturally decentralized.

It is drawn from the fact that Christ the Savior liberates the human race from sin, which is the root of all disruption of friendship and of all injustice and oppression.

Drawing from the biblical motif on the poor, Gutierrez asserts that God is revealed as having a preference for those people who are “insignificant,” “marginalized,” “unimportant,” “needy,” despised” and “defenseless.”

Born in Mainz, Germany, Dec. 31, 1947, archbishop Müller became a priest in 1978 and served in his native diocese as a chaplain and high school religion teacher. With degrees in philosophy and theology, he was a professor of dogmatic theology in Munich from 1986 to 2002.

During a 2010 conference in Rome marking the Year for Priests, he told reporters it was “stupidity” to believe that celibacy causes clerical sexual abuse, and he said that any priest who sexually abuses a child has placed himself outside of the priesthood, even before the church acts formally to dismiss him.

Concerning the church’s teaching against women’s ordination, he explained in a speech in 2002 that the Catholic Church does not profess that “men are superior to women,” but emphasized that Christ chose only men as his apostles.

His main task will be to promote the doctrine of the faith, and not only for its protection but also the promotion of theology and its basis in Revelation, to ensure its quality, and to consider the important intellectual developments on a global scale. This is because Revelation must always be associated with the intellectual developments of the time, the sociological changes, the thinking of people.

The Congregation has also the task of supporting the pope in his Magisterium on the emphases he makes in his proclamations. It is about a right understanding of the nature and mission of the Church; about finding the right balance between shutting out the world and adapting to it – so that we can truly serve the world in the name of Jesus Christ.

It emphasizes the fact that everyone who calls himself or herself Catholic, will also have to keep the principles of the Catholic faith given to us in the Revelation of God in Jesus Christ, which has been entrusted to the Church. One can therefore not simply pick from it what fits in a given structure.

It means that one must be open to the whole of the Christian faith, the whole profession of faith, the Church’s history and development of her teaching and to the living Tradition of the church.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578

E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.

Jaluo dot Kom

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KENYA: KISUMU BASED CHURCH MEMBERS UP IN ARMS AGAINST SEX IMMORALITY

KENYA: WORSHIPERS TOOK TO THEIR HEELS AND FLED IN GREAT STAMPEDE AFTER A LION WAS SPOTTED ROAMING ABOUT WITHIN THE CHURCH COMPOUND IN NAKURU TOWN.

POPE APPOINTS LIBERATION THEOLOGIAN HEAD OF DOCTRINE