KENYA: Catholic Bishops Statement on the Constitution

Here is a statement from the Catholic Bishops of Kenya released after their Plenary Assembly on August 19, 2010 in Nairobi.

May God be with Kenya!

“Go, therefore to all nations......teach them to observe all I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”. (Matthew 28: 19-20).

Our dear Christians, our dear Kenyans and all People of Good will.

We have travelled a long and arduous road that has seen us speak to you as your shepherds and direct your footsteps along the road of proper choice. We are convinced before God that we have played our role, as mandated to us, with diligence and respect. We have not shied away from stating unequivocally what are the tenets of our faith, in regard to certain issues in our new Constitution. It was, it is and it will continue to be our duty.

Now, Kenyans have voted after having heard what we, the Catholic Church in Kenya, and various people had to tell them. We respect the outcome of the referendum, where the larger numbers of Kenyans have voted to accept this new constitution. However, truth and right are not about numbers. We therefore, as the shepherds placed to give moral guidance to our people, still reiterate the need to address the flawed moral issues in this new Constitution. That voice will never be silenced.

We thank all the Christians and many Kenyans of good will who voted “no” in consideration of the issues raised by the Church. We also acknowledge many who voted “yes” while having serious misgivings on the moral issues contained in the constitution. We understand the many pressures that were at play at this time, and call upon you to revisit and play a crucial role in addressing these issues as we now seek to implement the Constitution and forge a way forward in the general reforms we now have to embark on.

The Church desires an authentic reform process, and will remain at the forefront to support a good Constitution and the legal reform process in this country. This reform process cannot end, must not end, since we all aspire to build a better society that will respect the rights of all and facilitate our economic, social and moral development. Most Kenyans indeed recognised that the proposed Constitution we voted for or against on 4th August 2010 had errors that needed to be corrected. We ask that these issues be addressed through the process of amendments as promised by the principals during the campaign period.
As we move to the post-referendum reality, we would like to urge all Kenyans of good will to be united in affirming the following truths:
1. The Supremacy of God’s Law over politics and human laws. We urge all to uphold respect for moral norms, which are a necessary safeguard for the dignity of the human person and are the basis for social order. We assert that these divine laws, expressed to us through natural law, are and must remain pre-eminent over all human laws, including the Constitution and Acts of Parliament which ought to be always designed and interpreted in ways that give effect to natural law. As we now embark on the process of implementation, we ask all those involved to remain vigilant to these demands of natural law. Moreover we call for mutual respect of all political and business leaders, our media commentators and religious leaders and all other Kenyans, and call upon all, to exercise prudence in our various efforts to build a new Kenya.
2. The need for love, peace and unity. We recognise the peaceful way in which Kenyans have generally conducted themselves during the referendum voting process. We ask Kenyans to make even greater efforts now to uphold the need for peace, love and unity in our relations as brothers and sisters to all other Kenyans. After taking divergent positions, there comes the unity of a common purpose.
3. Need for forgiveness and respect. We have experienced a lot of unwarranted exchanges, accusations and insults during this period, sometimes even addressed to the Church leaders. In a true Christian spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, we urge all to forgive each other from the heart, forgive even those injuries we may have suffered. However, we must not be cowed by these utterances but we shall remain firm in our role as the conscience of the nation and stewards of moral values.
4. Reaching out to the underprivileged and the weak. As we continue with our constitutional and legal reform process, we appeal to all Kenyans and to our development partners to recognise the need to continuously focus on the underprivileged and the weak, as a demand of justice in accord with the social doctrine of the Church. Pope Benedict XVI makes an important point when reflecting on the need for integral human development. After noting that “one of the most striking aspects of development in the present day is the important question of respect for life”, he asserts that “openness to life is at the centre of true development.” (Caritas in Veritate, No. 28). In other words, let us not forget the weakest and most vulnerable and defenceless members of society among us, the unborn children, who we should accept and cherish as wonderful gifts from God and part of the miracle of life and procreation that we humans share with our Divine Creator. Let us also especially remember the mothers who face various societal pressures as they seek to cherish the gift of life. When Life is not respected, the society inevitably degenerates into violence and crime.
5. Need for continued moral and civic education. During the Constitution reform and campaign period, we the pastors of the church have noted with greater force the need to continually provide a proper integral and balanced moral and civic education to all. We as the Church leaders are committed to foster this process.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we would like to invite all Kenyans to join us in the task of developing a better society where all our members are cherished and loved, where human solidarity and economic effectiveness travel side by side. We ask all to remember these important words of Pope Benedict XVI, “The Christian religion and other religions can offer their contribution to development only if God has a place in the public realm, specifically in regard to its cultural, social, economic and particularly its political dimensions.... Reason always stands in need of being purified by faith; this also holds true for political reason, which must not consider itself omnipotent.” (Caritas in Veritate, No. 56)

Let us join hands in seeking true authentic human development as we continue to pursue constitutional, legal and societal reform. The destiny of our country is more important than individuals. The destiny of our country is to have people of high morals and the good of our current and future generations depend on it.

We assure all Kenyans of our prayers in this new stage of our life as a Nation. There is a lot still ahead of us, and we must continue to determine what kind of society we wish to build. We have those great dreams for this nation and its people, which are part of God’s plans for us. Let us therefore do our part, without fear and with justice. May God be with us, in our journey as a Nation! May we recognize him as our point of reference. Amen.
Signed by: His Eminence John Cardinal Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi, Apostolic Administrator Ngong Diocese and Chairman Kenya Episcopal Conference (KEC).
1. Rt. Rev. Philip Sulumeti - Vice Chairman Kakamega
2. Most Rev. Zacchaeus Okoth Kisumu
3. Most Rev. Boniface Lele Mombasa
4. Rt. Rev. Peter Kairo Nyeri
5. Rt. Rev. Paul Darmanin Garissa
6. Rt. Rev. Cornelius K. Arap Korir Eldoret
7. Rt. Rev. Joseph Mairura Okemwa Kisii
8. Rt. Rev. Philip Anyolo Homa Bay
9. Rt. Rev. Alfred Rotich Military Ordinariate
10. Rt. Rev. Maurice Crowley Kitale
11. Rt. Rev. Norman Wambua King’oo Bungoma
12. Rt. Rev. Peter Kihara, IMC Marsabit
13. Rt. Rev. David Kamau - Auxiliary Bishop Nairobi
14. Rt. Rev. Anthony Ireri Mukobo, IMC Isiolo Vicariate
15. Rt. Rev. Patrick Harrington Lodwar
16. Rt. Rev. Virgilio Pante Maralal
17. Rt. Rev. Salesius Mugambi Meru
18. Rt. Rev. Luigi Paiaro Nyahururu
19. Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Okombo Kericho
20. Rt. Rev. Martin Kivuva Musonde Machakos
- Apostolic Administrator Malindi
21. Rt. Anthony Muheria Kitui
22. Rt. Rev. Paul Kariuki Njiru Embu
23. Rt. Rev. James Wainaina Muranga
24. Rt. Rev. Maurice Muhatia Nakuru
25. Rt. Rev. Dominic Kimengich – Aux. Bishop Lodwar
Fonte: CISA - NAIROBI, August 20, 2010.