Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
7 November 2008
document
"Your word is a lamp for my steps, and a light for my path" (Psalm 118:1)
We, the Catholic Bishops of Kenya, meeting at the Tabor Hill Spiritual Centre, Nyahururu address this message to our Kenyan Catholic faithful and all people of good will.
Our country has undergone a difficult time during 2008. Gradually we are recovering and beginning again to find our way. We gladly acknowledge the commitment and efforts of many people to improve the situation.
However, there is still a long way to go. There are warning signs again flashing in our country. After the widely acclaimed breakthrough in forming the Grand Coalition government and the hopes that sprang from this achievement, negative thoughts and factors have begun to take hold of the minds of the people. The roots of the problems that preceded the December 2007 election are still there. The non-implementation of so many reports, prior to these elections, had already made people sceptical. The voter education programme for the December 2007 elections had not prepared the people to accept that, in a democracy, there must be a winner and a loser.
The performance of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) was less than satisfactory. Kenyans felt betrayed. And since then, tensions have been deliberately created by people with vested interests. The innocence, unemployment (joblessness) and insecurity of youth have been cynically utilised, while land ownership remains at the heart of many of our problems. To this day, we know that many people are not resettled (Internally Displaced Persons, Returnees and those who have not been compensated).
The Kriegler and Waki Reports, just released, have simply brought home to us the gravity of our situation. Kenya is at a crossroads. We can take the opportunity that these reports provide to confront the "culture of impunity" or degenerate into further crises, ineptitude and moral stagnation. Consequently, we support the implementation of these reports.
In implementing their findings, however, we have to carefully distinguish between the sins and crimes of an individual and those of a group (or groups) of people. To our Catholic faithful, we say that as believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have first to recognise our mistakes, failures and sins. We know that the word "reconciliation" is much used. But often the word is misused. For us, believers in Jesus Christ, the first step in the process of reconciliation is with God and then, with our neighbours. This first step is that the person recognises that his/her sin is personal. It is not a consequence of rules fixed by law or recommendations of a report. It has to be the sinner's conviction that he/she was responsible for an action that was not in accordance with the will of God. Then, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, on acceptance of the failure by the sinner, the love of God is expressed through forgiveness, the giving of a penance and the carrying out of reparation. Part of this reparation - which is the second step - will be the seeking of forgiveness from the person one has wronged and redressing all aspects of the evil committed.
Finally, the process of reconciliation will require that the one who was wronged will be ready and prepared to forgive - a courageous and generous expression of what we pray each day in the "Our Father": "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us".
We appeal in a special way to Christians and even more so to Catholics who hold positions of responsibility - from those holding political leadership positions, those in administrative positions in government, those with responsibilities entrusted to them by the communities - to recognise in conscience the ills of this country and to move resolutely and confidently towards reconciliation.
To other Christians and people of good will, we say that everyone needs to recognise his/her failures in building the new society. What is wrong has to be denounced. Each person has to face his/her responsibilities before God and neighbour. The promotion of the good of all, and particularly those who are poor and seemingly without a future, has to be at the centre of a just, compassionate and progressive Kenya. All of us - together- can work to speedily remedy the unacceptable situation of the IDPs, the returnees and the non-compensated. Together, we can work at conflict management, counselling, trauma healing and encouraging efforts at grassroots level to rebuild relationships on the personal level and across ethnic divides. On all these aspects, we can reinforce the already commendable efforts underway in various parts of the country - clear signs of hope for all of us.
Finally, our beloved country Kenya stands to gain by "taking its medicine" now, regaining its strength, developing the image of peace, becoming a beacon of light and ambassadors of peace throughout the entire region.
Jesus said: "Behold, I am with you always; yes, until the end of time."(Matthew 28:20).
Signed by: His Eminence John Cardinal NjueChairman - Kenya Episcopal Conference/Archbishop of Nairobi & Apostolic Administrator of Muranga.
Thursday, November 6th, 2008
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