From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013

Since The People Daily reported four days ago that Cardinal John Njue of Nairobi archdiocese is reassigned to Vatican many of you have asked me to establish the truth about the report. Click here to read the report-Cardinal Njue to get Vatican position as reshuffle looms | The People. http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepeople.co.ke%2F32704%2Fcardinal-njue-to-get-vatican-position-as-reshuffle-looms%2F&ei=oA6PUuzTLcT_rQfRi4DYCg&usg=AFQjCNErqieUFJLfXeyc9weQhXUrBLoobA&sig2=7pJYZ63rjg_VGDZ5ExyQ4g

I have been reluctant to report because the office of the Nuncio in Nairobi has not communicated it officially. However according to the report by The People Daily sources in the Church said John Cardinal Njue is scheduled to be appointed by Pope Francis head of the Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood, a Catholic children’s association commonly referred to in Latin as the Pontificium Opus a Sancta Infantia.

Report further reveals that in his new position, Njue will be based in Vatican City, Italy where he undertook his formative studies before he rose up the ranks in the Kenyan Catholic Church to his current position.

The new changes according to the report will effectively see Bishop Maurice Mukhatia of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru transferred to Nairobi for the eventual appointment to the position of cardinal and archbishop.

Although it is not said why Njue is to go to Rome, according to the report this might be as the result of Vatican concerns over divisions in the Kenyan Catholic church during the reign of Cardinal Njue, dating back from majimboism debate to constitutional review and presidential elections.

Njue also hit the headline in May 2009 when members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal group in the Archdiocese of Nairobi were angry at him when he ordered it investigated. This was despite the fact that his successor emeritus Archbishop Ndingi Mwana Nzeki supported and appointed a priest in charge of the movement.

Cardinal Njue also hit the headline in 2010 when the Nairobi Star reported that over 100 priests within the Archdiocese of Nairobi were planning to ambush Njue at a meeting on November 16 to challenge his leadership. Click here to read the source-Priests rebel against Njue | The Star.

The paper reported that the priests wanted to tell him to his face that they were losing faith in him because of the way he is treating them and the faithful. The priests were reported to have told all those who could speak to Njue including the Pope’s Pepresentative in Kenya Archbishop Paul Allan Lebeaupin and members of the Episcopal conference but nothing had changed.

Some priests were also unhappy with Njue’s campaign for the No side during the August 4 constitutional referendum. Njue had directed all the Catholics in Kenya to vote ‘NO’ to the constitution.

According to the report, he forced some of the priests to openly campaign against the constitution even when they knew that the people who came to church were in support of the constitution.

The priests who refused to tell their Christians to vote ‘NO’ argued that they wanted to people to use their consciences to vote ‘YES’ or ‘NO’. They wanted the church to remain neutral.

Njue also featured on controversial ownership of St Mary’s Hospital. Cardinal Njue and Marie Therese Gacambi of the Assumption Sisters wanted to grab the hospital from Father William Charles Fryda of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Society in the United States who is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the hospitals.

According to Catholic observers, Mukhatia is the best for Nairobi because he can unite the church based on his robust personality unlike Njue whom critics argue has not been vocal in taking the authorities head on like his predecessor Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki who was the most outspoken critic of the Moi regime over the ethnic violence that rocked parts of Rift Valley region shortly before the 1992 General Election.

The paper further reveals that the changes will also see one Alfred Rotich, who left the Military Ordinariate of Kenya, the diocese charged with the pastoral care of the uniformed members of Armed Forces, moved to Mombasa as an archbishop to replace Boniface Lele who has been retired on health grounds.

The Church the paper reports, is also contemplating the appointment of Fr Hieronymus Njoya currently the regional superior of Consolata Missionaries based in Kenya to head Kakamega diocese to replace Bishop Philip Sulumeti who retired last year on health grounds.

The changes are also set to see Fr Lawrence Njoroge, a lecturer and chaplain at the Jomo Kenyatta University and Agriculture and Technology, appointed Vice chancellor of the Catholic University of East Africa.

But people are to wait for the official announcements by the papal representative, (Apostolic Nuncio) to Kenya- Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo just as he did in November 1, 2013 when Lele retired.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
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Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ
UN Disarmament
Conference, 2002