AMECEA NEWS

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

In a bid to alleviate the suffering of families which due to Covid-19 crisis, a Religious Order of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Anna (FSSA) serving in Dongora Catholic parish has reached out to support hundreds of needy families.

“Since there is lockdown and limited movements, most people are staying at home and are not able to do casual jobs for their economic sustainability. So, we have people coming to our Convent door to ask for food, most of the time. As a community we exhausted what we had and therefore resolved to develop a project to see how we can help,” Sr. Dorothy Odundo, Coordinator of Dongora Women Promotion Group told AMECEA online in an interview Thursday, June 25.

“I wrote to Missionszentrale der Franziskaner, a charity association which supports Order of Franciscans’ and through them we have managed to distribute food and soap to over 300 families in need,” the Kenyan-born nun ministering in Ethiopia narrated.

Through the Church elders and parish priest of Dongora Catholic parish Fr. Mulugeta Moges Naramo, the nuns identified the needy irrespective of faith, and they have done the distribution of foodstuffs for a number of days.

“We did the distribution which has taken us four days to the identified families. We had Christians and even Muslims,” Sr. Odundo a member of FSSA underscored.

Fr. Moges has appreciated the nuns’ initiative saying that the intervention came at the right time and that food is the most important support required during this period of Covid-19 when most families are starving and cannot afford proper meals.

“I thank God the Father who has given faith to donors to help the poor, and to Sr. Dorothy who felt sympathetic with the poor and organized this program. She has done a great thing to the vulnerable,” the Ethiopian cleric told AMECEA online.

“Food is very important for our vulnerable people especially during this pandemic and the help has come at the right time to our people. I am very grateful and thankful for that together with my parishioners,” he added.

According to Sr. Odundo who works with over 600 women in the Promotion Group, in a different project which she initiated last year prior to the pandemic dubbed as “Give-a-hand” families support each other with what they have for sustainability purposes.

“I came up with a 'give a hand' initiative whereby those who have can also help those without,” Sr. Odundo said and explained, “The initiative is for neighbor to neighbor. We have always emphasized on helping each other especially the families who at times go without food.”

As at Thursday, June 25, Ethiopia had reported 5,175 Coronavirus cases including 1,544 recoveries and 81 deaths.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has opposed the bill which is meant to “provide for the right to make decisions regarding reproductive health” among others and which they say will lead to termination of the unborn which is “homicide.”

Their statement dated June 23, 2020 follows a proposed bill on Reproductive Health by some parliamentarians in Kenya.

“We, the Catholic Bishops of Kenya, are aware that a proposal to legalize abortion has been presented in Parliament. While we respect individual opinions, and accept that legislators may wish to present proposals which we do not agree upon, we cannot remain silent before issues that concern life,” the Bishops said in a statement signed by the Chairman of KCCB, Archbishop Philip Arnold Anyolo, adding that “the unborn is human life and its termination is homicide.”

In their collective statement the Bishops stated that the proposal is against the teachings of the Church and African cultural values which promulgate the protection of life.

“We are called by our faith and our African cultural background, to protect life and also the life of the unborn. As Bishops, we respond to our belief that regards abortion as the intentional killing of a human life. We wish to remind all Christian’s legislators that the teaching of the Church on this matter has never wavered,” the statement reads in part.

They added, “The proposed legislation goes against the teaching of the Gospel. It is a Bill against the Constitution, against the right to life and against the protection of children and of the family.”

The Bishops condemned termination of the life of unborn as a solution to the women’s “problem” as the Bill recommends. Rather, they insist that they “focus on how to prevent unwanted pregnancies through positive means such as mentorship and behaviour change programmes, life skills and human sexuality programmes.”

“These will include a closer attention to social issues that lead to poverty, illness, fornication, peer pressure and uneasiness among people,” the statement reads and continues “We can identify ways to educate our youth about life and the fundamental choices regarding family life. We can support those structures that already now give shelter and protection to vulnerable minors and women.”

The Bishops expressed discontentment in the ambiguity of the wordings used in the Bill which speaks of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights “when in fact it simply wishes to introduce in country some unhealthy practices.”

“In the past decades, these words have been redefined by various UN (United Nations) agencies to encompass controversial sexual and abortion rights, including for young children,” the Prelates disclosed.

They quoted the Constitution of Kenya where “The meaning given by the Bill to "pregnancy" as "the presence of a foetus in the womb," read along with the provisions on termination of pregnancy.”

“It should be noted that these provisions of the Bill serve to amplify the ambiguity of Article 26(4) of the Constitution which was highly contested in the pre-referendum phase on the Constitution in 2010,” the Church leaders explained referring to a section of Kenya’s Constitution which focuses on the right to life.

The statement highlighted further that the proposed “Bill is a pathway to promoting a foreign agenda which insists that preventing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions require States to adopt (new) Policy measures.

According to the Bishops the Bill requires the State to “Guarantee all citizens access to affordable and effective contraceptives and comprehensive sexuality education, no matter their age,” and to “Guarantee access to safe abortion services and quality post-abortion care.”

Besides, the Prelates noted that the State is expected to “Respect the right of women to make autonomous decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, thus excluding their partners.”

The Bishops express their trust that “people of other faiths would share with us the respect towards human life,” and that “our Legislators will want to interpret the will of our people. They want to promote life, not death. They want to promote the institution of marriage not same-sex unions.”

They decry the use of the term "age appropriate” which “was once an effective modifier that served to protect children from exposure to harmful and explicit sexuality education,” but which the Bill asks the Ministry of Education to "integrate into the education syllabus age appropriate information on reproductive health.”

“This is no longer the case, as the term has become the most effective strategy used by sexual rights activists to get comprehensive sexuality adopted in policy and legislation,” the Prelates noted.

Watipaso Mzungu

A local election observation consortium has commended the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for promoting transparency in vote counting and tallying and displaying of results at appropriate places for the general public to see.

The consortium, which comprises the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust, the Public Affairs Committee has stressed that transparency in vote counting and tallying and displaying of results go a long way in mitigating fears of rigging that are making rounds on social media.

The consortium carried out a long-term observation of the fresh presidential election from the time of the Constitutional Court order on February 3, 2020.

The Episcopal Conference of Malawi’s CCJP National Director Boniface Chibwana, who chairs the consortium, says in a statement released this evening that the Consortium had noted that MEC is being methodical in its processes to determine and announce official results.

“Generally, the electoral process so far has been good without major hiccups or bottlenecks. CCJP, NICE, PAC consortium would like to commend all stakeholders and the Electoral Commission in particular, given the time and resource constraint in managing this election,” says Chibwana in the statement.

The Consortium has also commended security agencies, which include the Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police Service and Malawi Prison Service, for their professionalism, diligence and rapid response in supporting the electoral process with logistical services as well as providing security and ensuring safety and security of polling staff, polling materials and the electorate.

But CCJP, PAC and NICE have appealed to the general public to exercise patience, stressing that the results they are accessing at this stage are not official and should be treated with caution.

They urge the public to take due cognizance of the electoral law especially Section 96(1) of the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Act (PPEA) which stipulates that the Electoral Commission shall determine and publish the national result of an election based on the records delivered to it from all districts and polling stations.

“The consortium will issue a detailed observation report in due course. However, this statement provides highlights of key preliminary observations and recommendations,” says Chibwana.

The consortium carried out its mandate on election observation by drawing on the goodwill, financial, technical and logistical support and collaboration of many individuals and organizations in various capacities.

Chibwana says the Malawi Government, European Union (EU), Commonwealth, MISEREOR, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and USAID are some of the organizations that provided the consortium with financial support that enabled the undertaking of the various observation activities.

He thanked MEC for accrediting members of the consortium to carry out electoral observation and for continued mutual trust, honest engagement and collaboration.

“Furthermore, we thank the civil society, traditional leaders, faith based organizations, the media and other stakeholders that played various complimentary roles in the electoral process for mutual collaboration, synergistic relations and moral support. The supervisory and stationed observers, who provided data on which basis the work of the consortium was carried out,” Chibwana says.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

A book expounding on the importance of adopting some entrepreneurial approaches by Church media projects in Eastern Africa to guarantee them future sustainability has been published this June.

“The Church needs to style up the way she manages her projects by integrating into the faith approach some scientific approaches that make similar projects sustainable in the secular world,” the author of the new published book Fr. Andrew Kaufa told AMECEA online in an interview Wednesday, June 24.

“This includes strengthening the role of the board of directors in making strategic business decisions but also emphasizing work ethics and performance in human resource management,” Fr. Kaufa, a member of Society of Montfort Missionaries (SMM) narrated some of the ways in which Church media institutions in Eastern Africa can adopt better ways to make her media projects sustainable to a foreseeable future.

He added, “Firstly, it is the whole question of relevance of the projects in the local society. Faith based projects must not aim at raising money for the sake of making money but to answer a pastoral and social need. Historically, this plus innovativeness are the origins of entrepreneurship which characterized the world after the World War II.”

The Malawian-born cleric whose motivation to research on the sustainability of Church projects was inspired when working as Director of Luntha TV in Malawi as many people’s concern was on the future of these projects “was justified by stories of so many Catholic projects which expatriate missionaries started in the country but became defunct.”

“In fact, this reminded me of my former professor in Mass Communication at Daystar University, Ms. Mary Kizito, who also warned me about the same. Her argument was that most radio and TV stations in the United States do not survive after the founder's death. These observations gave me fear but also motivated me to find ways of rewriting the story,” Fr. Kaufa who is currently the Social Communications Coordinator at Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) revealed.

According to the author of the book, many Church media projects die or struggle to survive after the founders’ hand over the projects hence “we must acknowledge that the old way of doing things has not proved effective enough to make these projects sustainable,” and “we must also desist from the blame game which is often played when the local clergy and expatriates discuss this topic.”

Fr. Andrew Kaufa

Besides, “while appreciating those innovative founding missionaries for the work well done, looking to the future we must explore new ways of running these projects in view of making them sustainable, and make sure that we are truly responsive to current realities,” Fr. Kaufa explained the challenges affecting the development of Church projects in Eastern Africa.

Explaining the book titled The Elephant in the House: Future Sustainability of Catholic Media Projects in Eastern Africa, the Kenyan-based priest says, “This is an expression which I have often heard from Fr Joseph Healey, a Maryknoll Missionary, when he talks about the same challenge with regard to Catholic media projects in AMECEA region.” Future sustainability is the “challenge facing most Catholic projects including Catholic communication in the region.”

He appreciates the fact that AMECEA Bishops acknowledge that, in fact, this as a challenge “not only with regard to media projects but also sustainability of all pastoral ministries,” giving example that “in many dioceses in the region, expatriate missionaries started carpentry shops; garages and farms as entrepreneurial projects, most of which became defunct.”

The priest who intends to launch the book in collaboration with one of the learning Institutions within the AMECEA region hopes to do so once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted or the event may take place virtually.

Talking about succession planning as another way to sustain Church projects Fr. Kaufa says, “I find the model of Church as family of God pointing us to the business philosophy underlying familial entrepreneurship. The Chinese, Indians, Jews and Greeks are good at familial SMEs (Small and medium-sized enterprises) where we see the older generation smoothly handing over a project to the younger generation of family members.”

“This entails some skills and putting in place a systematic program of succession planning and management. And for me, this is another area where the Church terribly goofs,” Fr. Kaufa disclosed and probed, “How do we recruit new directors when one is retiring? Can we talk of dioceses or Religious Congregations having a succession planning that guides them? (and) Isn’t what we see a mere handover of a project from one director to the other?”

“It is my hope that the book provokes a discussion that will help us seek ways of sending the elephant away from the house,” Fr. Kaufa concluded.

The author of the ten-chapter book intends to market and distribute the book which is already available at the AMECEA secretariat, to all AMECEA countries as he works on the e-book format which will soon be available via Amazon.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

H.E Philippe Cardinal Nakellentuba
Ouédraogo, SECAM President

Bishops in Africa under the continental body Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) have sent a congratulatory message to the new local Ordinary of Uganda’s Mbarara Archdiocese appreciating his commitment in serving the people of God.

“Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha, on the occasion of your installation as Archbishop of Mbarara, we members of SECAM, warmly congratulate you,” reads in part a statement signed by the SECAM President Philippe Cardinal Nakellentuba Ouédraogo, on the occasion of the installation.

The Prelates appreciate the new Archbishop for the services he has offered since his priestly ordination saying, “You have faithfully served the Church-Family of God in Mbarara since your priestly ordination in July 1991 and even more committedly since your appointment as Auxiliary Bishop in 2005.”

They add, “Your service to the Church in Uganda has not been limited to Mbarara but also to Hoima Diocese where you were Apostolic Administrator from 2009-2016. You have further served the Uganda Episcopal Conference in a number of ways including being the President of the Legal Service Commission.”

Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha who has been serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of Mbarara was appointed Archbishop on Saturday, April 25, and was installed on Saturday, June 20, taking over from his predecessor who has reached the canonical age limit.

In the statement, SECAM expresses confidence in the new Archbishop saying, “We are excited about your appointment as Archbishop. And owing to your cumulative experience in the episcopacy and dedicated services to the Church, in particular and to humanity, in general, we are confident that you will perfectly fit into the shoes of your predecessor, Most Rev. Paul K. Bakyenga, who served the Archdiocese of Mbarara for over three decades with exceptional noble and self-sacrificing qualities.

SECAM continues to commend the Archbishop Emeritus saying, “He will always be remembered for his remarkable contribution to SECAM for many years as a member of the Standing Committee of the Symposium.”

And assuring Archbishop Bainomugisha of their support, the Prelates say, “We the Bishops of Africa and Madagascar assure you of the support of our prayers in the demanding new responsibility that you are taking up today. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star of New Evangelization and Queen of Africa, intercede for all of us.”

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Pope Francis on Saturday, June 20, added three titles to the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary known as the Litany of Loreto.

“The Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis, wishes to provide that in the formulary of the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called “The Litany of Loreto,” the invocations “Mater Misericordia” (Mother of Mercy), “Mater Spei” (Mother of Hope) and “Solacium Migrantium” (Comfort of Migrants) should be inserted,” Prefect of the Congregation for the Divine Liturgy and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Robert Cardinal Sarah and the Secretary, Archbishop Arthur Roche, said in a letter addressed to the Presidents of Conferences of Bishops.

In the co-signed letter, the Church leaders explained that “Mother of mercy” should be inserted after Mother of the Church, “Mother of hope” should be added after Mother of divine grace, and “Comfort of migrants,” should follow refuge of sinners.

Since the approval of the Litany of Loreto by Pope Sixtus V in 1587, other Popes have added invocations to the Marian Litany which is commonly recited after praying the Rosary.

“The titles and invocations which Christian piety has reserved for the Virgin Mary over the course of the centuries, as the privileged and sure way to an encounter with Christ, are innumerable,” the Church leaders noted in their letter has released on the day the Church commemorated the memorial of Immaculate Heart of Mary.

“Even in this present moment which is marked by feelings of uncertainty and trepidation, devout recourse to her, which is full of affection and trust, is deeply felt by the People of God,” they added.

Cardinal Sarah and Archbishop Roche said, “The Church which walks along the pathways of history as a pilgrim towards the heavenly Jerusalem and enjoys inseparable communion with Christ her Spouse and Saviour, entrusts herself to her who believed in the word of the Lord.”

They added, “We know from the Gospel that the disciples of Jesus had in fact learned from the very beginning to praise her as “blessed amongst women” and to count on her maternal intercession.”

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Members of Inter-Faith Council addressing the Press

Following the Inter-Faith Councilthat was constituted by the government of Kenya in mid-June and mandated to develop directives on reopening of places of worship which have been closed since March 2020 as a preventive measure to curb the spread of Covid-19, faith leaders have called for adherence to guidelines which are in tandem with the latest Ministry of Health measures for public health.

“As we progress and prepare our communities for phased reopening, we wish to reiterate one cardinal principle: the safe reopening of the places of worship will depend entirely on our compliance to the current Ministry of Healthguidelines and those that the Inter-faith Council will present,” reads in part the Faith-leaders statement signed by the Chairperson of the Council Archbishop Anthony Muheria.

“We urge all our members and congregants to fully embrace the new normal to prevent the spread of Covid-19 virus. This will make it much easier and accelerate the safe reopening of congregational worship,” They noted.

The Inter-Faith Council that was inaugurated Wednesday, June 17, embarked on strategizing for gradual resumption of worship as they received input from religious communities “that will inform the development of the guidelines that are tasked to the council.”

According to the Council comprising of 16 members from various Faith institutions, they are up for the task to fulfil their mandate saying in their statement, “As men and women of faith, we are committed to do what is within our capacity to ensure that proper guidelines and protocols are put in place to ensure the safety of our congregants as the phased opening of worship places are put in places and the celebration of weddings, funerals and other religious ceremonies.”

"As faith leaders, we are keen to listen to the voice of God, the wisdom of science and to the voices of our faithful in addressing this mandate that has been tasked to us," they added in their press statement issued Saturday, June 27.

The Faith leaders acknowledged receipt of “other presentations by various religious groups and interested persons,” and has urged the “patience” of Kenyans as they conclude the initial development of indicative guidelines.

The Council intends to conduct 10 regional meetings for validation to “ensure the eventual guidelines are in tandem with faith traditions and the input received.”

The members of the Council have appreciated the President for mandating them to serve the nation and for the step the government has taken to for the phased reopening of worship places.

Mwenya Mukuka

Eugene Kabilika,Caritas Zambia Executive Director

Caritas Zambia has supported the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) in their call for withdrawal of the controversial Bill No. 10 of 2019 which seeks to amend Zambia’s 2016 Constitution.

This is according to a statement signed by Caritas Zambia Executive Director Eugene Kabilika on behalf of all Caritas Zambia Diocesan Directors.

“We agree with the Bishops on the need for inclusive consultations on matters concerning the amendment of Zambia’s 2016 Constitution. When bishops analyze political events, they do so in the light of the Word of God and the Social Teaching of the Church. Bill No. 10 falls short of promoting some of the key principles of the Social Teaching of the Church,” reads the statement.

“While constitution making process is a common good for Zambians, the government refused to amend the National Dialogue Forum Bill (NDF), which would have set the tone for national unity and healing. Even the Parliamentary Committee on legal affairs, human rights, national guidance, gender and governance recommended that the NDF bill be withdrawn. Nevertheless, the recommendation was rejected and the NDF Bill was passed into law,” the statement adds.

According to the statement, Caritas Zambia Directors are also aware that according to parliamentary Standing Orders, Bill 10 lapsed on 4th June 2020.

Caritas Zambia has since repeated the call made by ZCCB on 9th June 2020 that Bill 10, should be withdrawn.

“We call upon government to listen to the voice of reason. Amendments to the Constitution of Zambia should be based on widest consultation and consensus building. The NDF consultative process was not adequate, resulting in lack of consensus among key players. That is now very apparent with Bill 10,” the statement read.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Bishop John Oballa Owaa,
Chaiman Catholic Justice and Peace
Commission, KCCB

Following the recent ethnic clashes that has led to loss of lives in some parts of Kenya, the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has condemned the inhuman act, urging the warrying parties to respect human life.

“We are deeply concerned with continued insecurity and tensions in the counties of Narok and Marsabit which have led to loss of lives, displacement of people and destruction of properties,” reads in part a statement released by the KCCB on Friday, July 3.

“Sanctity of life and human dignity is a value to be upheld at all times. This has been reinforced by Article (26) of Kenya’s Constitution which clearly states that every person has a right to life.” the Bishops have stated in the statement signed by the Chairman of CJPC at KCCB, Bishop John Oballa Owaa.

The inter-communal warfare that has been rampant in the counties has led to systematic killings of twelve people including two university students, a secondary school student and a motorcyclist.

The bishops send condolences to families who lost their loved ones and express their concerned for the loss of innocent souls saying, “It is unfortunate that we keep losing lives including those of the young and innocent, due to ethnic, clan hatred, competition over resources and leadership wrangles,” the Bishops lamented.

They further appeal to Kenyan government to initiate “peace talks” to protect the people in the affected counties “from perennial ethnic conflicts and deaths”, and to the local administration to investigate and identify the perpetrators.

The Bishops note that “in this period of Coronavirus pandemic, Kenyans are confronted with myriad of challenges which range from joblessness, mental health, stigma and Gender Based Violence and our young people are not left behind. Kenyans who are already confined and suffering due to the pandemic, to again be subjected to uncalled for conflicts, killings and other forms of sufferings.”

Janet Hinga

Rt. Rev. Antony Ireri,
the Apostolic Vicariate of Isiolo
and Chairman of KCCB-Commission
for Liturgy

The Apostolic Vicariate of Isiolo and Chairman of KCCB-Commission for Liturgy Rt. Rev. Antony Ireri on Sunday, June 28 during the televised mass at Holy Family Basilica urged Kenyan youths and children not to succumb to destructive lifestyles, but rather make proper use of their time in the face of the ongoing Covid- 19 crisis.

He reiterated Pope Francis’ words of 2019 to the young people and children reminding them that evil does not have the last word, instead they should lean on true friendship with Jesus Christ.

With the stringent measures put in place in the country to flatten the curve of covid-19 infections, Bishop Ireri noted that during the past 4 months, the Coronavirus pandemic’s impact has been felt in all sectors of the country and has brought strife on the church’s conventional way of worship.

He stressed to all saying, “We have to recognize that while we cannot gather in the usual way, our duty and obligation to worship remains indispensable.”

He further urged all Christians to have a deeper relation with God through meditation and prayer. Referring to the words of St Paul in the second reading (in Romans 6:3-4,8-11) Bishop Ireri said, “Prayer influences our lives so that our lives become a prayer. When our lives are influenced by prayer, we go out of our way to love and serve God and our neighbors. Let us all mirror the early Christians.”

Rt. Rev. Antony Ireri further encouraged Christians to do works of mercy by feeding and clothing the needy, more especially during these times of Covid-19 crisis so that hope, joy and courage may be restored among those who are suffering.

“St Theresa showed us that we can do small things with great love,” he said.

In their collective statement, the Bishops called on families to create routines for communal worship where Christ takes the centre stage.

“Every home is called to become a domestic Church where family life is completely centered on Christ’s love for the Church and as a domestic Church, the family is called to proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life. Our homes therefore should be the first places of worship.”

Sarah Pelaji, Dar es Salaam

Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), has provided Coronavirus protective equipment to Catholic-owned hospitals in the country.

Presenting these materials recently to some Catholic Bishops in Dar es Salaam, Director of Finance and Administration Erick Mwelulila said that TEC has felt the need to empower Catholic owned hospitals in order to manage emergence diseases including Covid-19 and other disasters.

“We thank the Italian Catholic Bishops (CEI) for their willingness to cooperate with the Catholic Church in Tanzania in the fight against emergencies and to assist communities in providing quality care.

Since the beginning of Coronavirus pandemic, the Catholic Church has been at the forefront of educating the community on the disease and providing various assistance including Personal Protective Equipment’s (PPEs) in some parishes, communities now hospitals.

We thank the various development partners who have been supporting us in many ways to assist the TEC to save our community from this tragedy, ”he said.

The equipment includes Oxygen Concentrators for patients with respiratory problems; temperature gauges; gloves; various diagnostics; masks; and sanitizers.

The hospitals that received the equipment were Bugando Referral Hospital in Mwanza Archdiocese (north western part of Tanzania), St. Francis Referral Hospital located in Ifakara Dioceses (south central Tanzania), Makiungu District Hospital in Singida Diocese (East Central of Tanzania) and Tosamaganga District Hospital (southern Highlands of Tanzania).

Receiving the equipment, the local Ordinaries of the dioceses where those hospitals are located have thanked TEC and CEI for their support and efforts to assist communities in the fight against emergencies.

“I am happy to see TEC struggling to save the community from this tragedy. I thank the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) for helping TEC to enable our hospitals with these expensive facilities.

I am very grateful that we continue to pray that Covid-19 virus is completely eradicated locally and globally,” said Bishop Tarcisius Ngalalekum of Iringa Catholic Diocese on behalf of Tosamaganga District Hospital.

Archbishop of Mwanza Archdiocese and the Chairman of Health Department at the Conference Most. Rev. Renatus Nkwande has also thanked CEI for partnering with TEC to enable these hospitals fight emergency illnesses especially the Coronavirus pandemic.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Above Picture: a cross section of Catholic Bishops- file picture

As Christians await for the resumption of public worship, Catholic Bishops have developed new directives to be observed during Liturgical services among them they have encouraged open-air masses.

The guidelines issued by the Bishops Conference in their statement released Tuesday, June 30, are in line with those already given by the Ministry of Health (MoH) with additional recommendations for liturgical services.

“Where Churches have big compounds,” the Bishops “encourage open- air Masses where plastic chairs can easily be arranged,” and “In the event that capacity restrictions are small, Parishes can consider or be encouraged to organize Masses on a day other than Sunday or Vigil Mass on Saturday evening to help spread out population and afford others the opportunity to also be present as permissible.”

In the statement signed by the KCCB Chairman Archbishop Philip Anyolo, the Conference has encouraged increasing the number of Masses and also celebrating the Sunday Masses in Small Christian Communities (SCCs) so that minimal number of Christians can attend at a time.

“For urban set-up increase the number of Masses (and) for rural set-up encourage and celebrate Sunday Masses in the Small Christian Community where the number is easily manageable.”

The Church leaders have proposed roles for various groups including Religious communities in public sensitization and capacity building.

In regard to this the Bishops advised Religious communities to “Identify what signage will be necessary to instruct the Faithful regarding fever or flu-like symptoms not to enter the Church, to display a poster of Covid-19 on posture display, use other channels available (like) Magazines or Radios,” and also “Train all Church Leaders as to capacity build of those managing the activities.”

Concerning phased re-opening, the Prelates have proposedstages beginning with 15% occupancy which will slowly advance to 25%, then 50% and finally 100%.

The Bishops have permitted administering of various Sacraments to the Christians with observation of strict guidelines for safety of all the involved parties.

When celebrating the Sacrament of baptism, “a minimum of 1.5 metres distance should be kept between the celebrant and others during the ceremony (and) a limited period of proximity during the anointings, the pouring of water, and the explanatory rites is permissible and necessary,” the Church leaders noted.

“The anointing associated with confirmation may not take place via the use of a cotton ball or other instrument. The anointing must be performed by the celebrant directly with his hand,” the statement reads in part and continued, “It is recommended during this period to limit the celebration of the Anointing of the Sick to those who are dying and those about to undergo serious surgery. Communal celebration of the sacrament should not be scheduled for this time.”

The Prelates assure the Christians of their safety and request for their patience as plans for resumption are underway.

“We are confident that we can assure our Christians of their safety when attending the Church services. We continue to urge you to be patient as we wait for the outcome of the Inter-Faith Council that was appointed by the President to give a roadmap towards re-opening the places of worship.”

“Meanwhile, let us continue praying for this pandemic to come to an end through the intercession of Blessed Virgin Mary and all the Saints. Let us never forget that our help is in the name of God who made heaven and earth,” They said.

Mastone Peter

Nurse-In-Charge for Pirimiti Hospital,
Sr. Mary Njuguna receiving the machines
with staff members.

A Spain-based missionary non-governmental organization (NGO) known as La Obra Maxima has donated three oxygen concentrators to Pirimiti Community Hospital of Zomba Diocese in a bid to improve delivery of quality health care services at the facility.

La Obra Maxima is a missionary NGO of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) in Northern Spain. It has made this donation as one way of trying to equip the isolation ward for Covid-19 patients which the hospital has created.

Bishop of Zomba Diocese, Rt. Rev. George Desmond Tambala, who is a member of the Order said that the Diocese is very grateful for the donation which has come at a time when Pirimiti Hospital needs medical equipment, especially those that can help in the prevention and fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking after receiving the donation, the Nurse-In-Charge for Pirimiti Hospital, Sister Mary Njuguna thanked the Discalced Carmelites for the donation.

Solomeo Pirimiti hospital

“As a hospital, we have an isolation ward, but we did not have any equipment in it until today we are receiving these oxygen concentrators. These machines can support up to 15 patients because we can put distributers to each machine so that it can serve up to 5 patients who might need oxygen supply”, continued Sister Njuguna.

Zomba Diocese has five health centres and one community hospital, Pirimiti, which has received these oxygen concentrators.

The Diocese joined forces in the fight against COVID-19 as evidenced by the recent appointment of a special Diocesan Taskforce on Covid-19 by Bishop Tambala.

As of June 29, 2020, statistics according to Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) indicated that Malawi had 1,224 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 260 recoveries and 14 deaths while 13, 917 tests have been conducted.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Catholic Members of parliament in Kenya under their forum, Catholic MPs Spiritual Support Initiative (CAMPSSI), have backed the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) to fight against the Bill proposed by some parliamentarians on reproductive health.

“The objective of this reproductive health Bill is to allow abortion and other socio- culturally unacceptable sexual practices as well as to create a roadmap to comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools at an early age,” Chairman of CAMPSSI Hon. Chris Wamalwa Wakhungu said in an interview with AMECEA online adding that, “As Catholic Members of parliament, we say no to the Bill.”

“Under our Constitution, abortion is not permitted; life begins at conception and every human being including the unborn has the right to life,” Hon. Wamalwa who has served as the chair of CAMPSSI for five years apprised.

Catholic MPs have been working closely with the Catholic bishops who also condemned the Bill in their statement released end of June saying it is against the teachings of the Church and the African cultural values.

According to Hon. Wamalwa, the Bill which is “sponsored by international organization which promotes contraceptives and advocates for access to abortions” has “cleverly not used the term abortion and instead, hiding under the Kenyan constitution clause which says that abortion is not permitted unless under life threatening circumstances.”

“The Reproductive healthcare Bill which found its way to parliament four times in the recent years, was tabled in the National Assembly in 2006 and 2008. When the financiers realized that it was difficult to have it in the National Assembly, they presented it through the sponsorship of a then nominated senator in 2014,” reads the note sent to AMECEA online Thursday, July 2.

In the note quoting Article 26 (c) of the Bill, the Catholic parliamentarians say, “the Bill gives provision for abortion if “there exists a substantial risk that the foetus would suffer from a severe physical or mental abnormality that is incompatible with life outside the womb. And this means that persons with disability should not have right to life.”

Further, they note, “Article 28(2) provides for abortion for a person considered to suffer for mental illness.” In this case, “The consent to terminate the pregnancy shall be obtained from “either the spouse of the person; or in the absence of a spouse, the parents of the person; or the next of kin of the person.”

“At National assembly we will not allow this Bill to go through, the Bill is still based on the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) ideology that is inconsistent with our constitution, national, cultural and religious values,” Hon. Wamalwa explained in relation to issues in the Bill which conflicts the Constitution.

“It is unfortunate the Bill was passed erroneously at the second reading without the public participation. During this Coronavirus pandemic, parliament is not sitting to full capacity so this Bill was sneaked in and rushed. It passed without the knowledge of the Catholic and pro-family senators, in fact there was even no quorum,” the MP disclosed.

The MP of Kiminini Constituency in Kenya’s Trans-Nzoia County explained further the meaning of reproductive health right as used in the Bill saying, “When we talk of reproductive health right it says, when a mother is carrying a baby may be through rape or unplanned pregnancy, you can call on a doctor to do an abortion; but if the doctor refuses, then there is a fine or a jail term. This is what the Bill is referring to as reproductive health rights.”

According to the Catholic MPs, the “Reproductive Healthcare Bill 2019 is also the main precursor for the unacceptable Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) which is a tool designed by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to sexualize our children by promoting promiscuity, use of contraceptives and seek abortion services among other harmful sexual practices including homosexuality.”

With this Hon Wamalwa said, “We will not allow Comprehensive Sexuality Education to be introduced to our children in school at an early age, we will not allow matters of abortion and we will not allow our children to be introduced to the use of contraceptives.”

He added, “We say NO to comprehensive sexuality education in schools because that is the objective of this Bill.”

The Catholic MPs through their chair appreciated the move by the Catholic Bishops, the Evangelical Churches and the Muslim religious leaders for coming out to fight against the Bill.

Mwenya Mukuka

Rt. Rev. Benjamin Phiri,
the new Bishop of the Diocese of Ndola.

Pope Francis has named Rt. Rev. Benjamin Phiri as the Bishop of the Diocese of Ndola.

Pope Francis has made the announcement Friday, 3rd July,2020.

Bishop Benjamin Phiri takes over from Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda who is now the local Ordinary for the Archdiocese of Lusaka.

Bishop Phiri who has been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata since 2011, was born on 14 June 1959 in Petauke District in the Diocese of Chipata.

After his studies at the Minor Seminary in Monze Diocese, he studied Philosophy at St. Augustine Seminary, Kabwe, and Theology at St. Dominic’s Major Seminary, Lusaka. He was ordained to the priesthood on 14 September 1986 for the Diocese of Chipata.

Among his assignments after ordination, he served as director of vocations, parish priest, director of Chikungu Pastoral Centre in Chipata Diocese.

After completing his studies in Canon Law, he served as National Director of the Pastoral Office of the Zambian Bishops’ Conference (2002–2004) and rector of St. Dominic’s Major Seminary in Lusaka from 2004.

Bishop Phiri was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata on 18 January 2011 with the titular see of Nachingwea.

Rt. Rev. Benjamin is member of the University Council of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), representing the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

A new directory for Catechesis released in the Vatican last week by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization has provided guidelines for use to strengthen the mission of the Church on the connection between evangelization and catechesis.

“The new directory for catechesis lays down guidelines for catechesis and present universal norms to guide pastors and catechists in the work of evangelization,” members of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization explained from the Vatican on Thursday, June 25.

The directory that was approved by Pope Francis on Monday, March 23, is the latest edition that follows the “General Catechetical Directory” published in 1971 and the “General Directory for Catechesis” published in 1997.

According to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, the directory is an “extensive document containing practical pastoral recommendations on how to organize catechesis.”

Containing 300 pages, the directory has proposed three key areas of focus namely, “Witnessing, Mercy and Dialogue” in order to “transmit the faith within the awareness of our society today” since the “Church no longer lives in a Christian regime but in a secular society.”

It has emphasized that to be authentic witnesses of the faith, catechists have to be “catechized before being catechists.” Hence, Catechists are called to be vigilant in performing their specific task “so that absolute protection is guaranteed to every person, particularly to minors and vulnerable person.”

The new directory underscores the role of family in the process of catechesis, noting that it is in the family where people can receive Christian education in a humble and compassionate manner and that those being evangelized can live the faith in a simple and spontaneous way.

“Second Vatican Council originally inspired a directory for catechesis to ensure that the Church’s catechetical efforts may be vibrant, informed, and faithful and attuned to the needs of the time,” the Pontifical Council members explained via a video clip.

Talking about evangelization, the directory “invites the Christian faithful to be courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ in the family in the work place and in the wider community.”

Further, the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization” affirms the presentation of a Catholic faith which draws deeply from the Scriptures and the recent writings of the Popes, more especially Pope Francis.”

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Fr. George Omondi distributing foodstaffs

Following the Coronavirus pandemic that has hit hard on many households, Consolata Catholic parish at Likoni in Mombasa Archdiocese has come up with various strategies to alleviate the effect COVID-19 has caused, which the Parish Priest Fr. George Omondi has shared with AMECEA Online.

“Through its Caritas office, the parish carried out a needs assessment by conducting interviews to some individuals during pastoral visits. We were able to come face to face with the real situations on the ground,” Fr. George Omondi said on Thursday, July 9.

“We realized that our people are really suffering. Then we decided to find ways to be of help not only to the Christian fraternity but also to the non-Christians in the environs,” Fr. Omondi told AMECEA Online adding, “The number of people knocking at our doors for help was growing bigger day by day since most people were rendered jobless as Likoni is largely populated by slum dwellers.”

The parish Caritas office which was created early this year prior to the detection of Coronavirus in the country has so far supported over 1,000 households with foodstuffs, clothing and sanitary items, which they receive from Christians, the Congregation of the Consolata Missionaries Kenya region, a mining company in Kwale county and Mombasa Archdiocese Caritas office.

“I found out that for many years, the parish was supporting a group of needy and vulnerable households through the Christian fraternity. But the worst happened when Covid -19 hit our nation, and Christians could no longer come to Church,” the Consolata Missionary (IMC) priest explained.

Distribution of Foodstuffs Consolata
Catholic Church Likoni parish, Mombasa Archdiocese

“This implied that there was nothing to feed the needy and vulnerable households and I had to think of a system that could sustainably provide support in different ways, giving priority to the basic needs such as food. That is how this charitable initiative was born,” he added.

Fr. Omondi further narrated that they have also began a psycho-social support program where they offer counseling services to the jobless, families experiencing domestic violence and, where necessary, helping some to go back to their home villages if they are unable to pay house rent.

On her part, the Coordinator of Caritas Likoni Sr. Teresia Ndumi said that the Parish has also created a Covid-19 Response Recovery and Adaptation (CoRRA) program in a bid to educate the people on the recovery processes.

“We have come up with a program called CoRRA and the parish plans to organize seminars to teach people about trauma, life with Covid-19 in family set-up and in the community,” Sr. Ndumi a member of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart (DSH) disclosed.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

President Lungu and Bishop Hamungole

The Diocese of Monze in Zambia’s Southern Province has appreciated government’s move to support and collaborate with the Church through the donation of a five-hectare piece of land for construction of a new Cathedral for the Diocese.

“Your gesture means a lot for all of us. It speaks volumes of your personal commitment, and that of your Government's desire to work closely with the churches, and in particular the Catholic Diocese of Monze's project of building a new Cathedral,” Local Ordinary of the Diocese of Monze Rt. Rev. Moses Hamungole told the Head of State President Edgar Chagwa Lungu during the occasion of the handing over the deed of the land.

In his welcoming remarks, Bishop Hamungole noted that apart from constructing the Holy Trinity Cathedral that will have a sitting capacity of about 1000 people, the land will also be used to “establish an integrated human development and formation centre which will cater for the empowerment of various vulnerable groups of people within Monze and beyond.”

“The project aims at responding to the growing needs of the community of Monze where we observed that as the local population increases, the number of vulnerable persons also grows,” Bishop Hamungole explained during the event on Saturday, July 4.

He added, “In appreciation of this enormous gift and the Church's efforts not to leave anyone behind, this social ministry will roll out its services to the neighbouring Monze Correctional Facility.”

The Bishop who is also Chairman of Social Communications Commission of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) requested well-wishers to continue supporting the Diocese so as to realize their dream which he anticipates to be completed by 2022 “when the Diocese of Monze will celebrate Diamond Jubilee (60 years) of its existence.”

In his address, President Lungu said he has donated the land “after the request by the Church in Monze and after working out all the procedures.”

“We thought it prudent to give it to the Bishop publicly and openly so that there is no dispute to who owns this land from today on,” the President added.

He then handed over the title deed of the land to Bishop Hamungole, promising to continue with his support for the construction of the Cathedral and bringing development to the people.

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

After President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta announced the phased re-opening of public worship in conformity with all applicable health guidelines and protocols to ensure safety of congregants, the Inter-Faith Council that was constituted by government mid-June has asked citizens not to be in a hurry but to prepare well so as to prevent the risks that may lead to spread of Coronavirus when the faithful attend worship.

“Let us not rush without preparations. We all understand the great eagerness and longing we have, but with some patience and preparations we can safely reunite in our places of worship,” reads press statement of the Inter-Faith Council signed by the chairman, Archbishop Anthony Muheria.

The Council invites all religious leaders to be concerned about the lives of the congregants as it assures all citizens that “together we can safely manage the return to our places of worship.”

The faith leaders who have had eight consultation meetings to collect suggestions on the matter advised that there must be a pre-opening stage before full-phased reopening of places of worship, followed by other phases depending on the situation of the infection trend and the level of compliance during congregational gatherings.

In his address on Monday, July 6, President Uhuru Kenyatta asked the Inter- Faith Council “to take up the task of sensitizing and publicizing” the guidelines they have developed towards resumption of worship.

In response, the Council stated in their statement, “We have planned together with a number of other religious leaders to visit the counties to share and get feedback of these guidelines in order to accommodate new ideas, and assure that all religious leaders are well versed.”

“We believe that the religious leaders have a key role to play in effectively fighting the Covid-19, by taking the frontline in advocacy and spiritual persuasion of the congregants,” they added.

Besides, the Inter-Faith Council recommends the formation of Interfaith Committees at the Sub-county, and County levels to help oversee the compliance of congregations in all places of worship to the guidelines.

Archbishop Anthony Muheri
of the Nyeri Archdiocese
and members of Inter-Faith Council

“We encourage self-regulation, and we expect responsibility of the faith leaders in ensuring that the guidelines are followed,” reads their statement dated Tuesday, July 7, adding, “Each congregation is advised to form a Covid-19 response committee to help implement and oversee compliance to the guidelines."

The Council further asks all citizens to strictly comply with the guidelines already issued by the Ministry of Health adding, “Children under the age of 13 years and persons over the age of 58 years are encouraged to keep at home in the first phases of re-opening,” and “the duration of the congregational worship should not exceed 60 minutes.”

To ensure the safety of each and every congregant, the religious leaders urge all Kenyans to open places of worship in an orderly and prepared way saying, “This will facilitate that all are equally prepared and informed.”

Hiba Morgan

The reshuffle follows protests urging faster reforms and greater civilian rule in Sudan's transition towards democracy.

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok who was appointed to the position by the Sovereign Council in 2017 as part of the country’s transition to democracy has replaced the finance, foreign, energy and health ministers and three other senior cabinet post holders as part of a sweeping reshuffle, the government said on Thursday.

Authorities had said a reshuffle was coming, but few had expected the exit of Ibrahim al-Badawi, who as finance minister led efforts to steady Sudan's crisis-stricken economy and liaised with foreign donors.

In a statement, the government said transitional Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has dismissed the health minister, accepted the resignation of al-Badawi and the others and named interim replacements to lead all seven ministries.

Prime Minister Hamdok leads a government of technocrats under a 39-month power-sharing agreement between the military and civilian groups that was reached following the removal of the country's longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir last year.

Al-Badawi's interim replacement will be Heba Ahmed Ali, a senior finance ministry official, the government statement said.

The reshuffle comes nine days after one person was killed and several others injured during largely peaceful demonstrations in Sudan demanding faster reform and greater civilian rule in the country's transition towards democracy.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Sudanese cities despite a Coronavirus lockdown to demand a transition towards democracy after al-Bashir's removal last year.

The transitional government has come under increased pressure in recent months over its handling of the country's Coronavirus outbreak and economic conditions.

People have been complaining about the shortage of fuel saying they have to stand in line for hours, sometimes days.

“We have seen people line up for bread; that is what triggered the anti-government protests in 2018 that eventually led to the ousting of Omar al-Bashir," a lady said.

A lot of people have also criticized the government saying the lockdown that was imposed to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus was not adequate.

This seems to show there is lots of pressure on the transitional government which led the prime minister to dismiss most of the minister and replace them with caretakers until new ministers are appointed.

On the eve of the protests, Hamdok had promised to take a number of big decisions, without giving details.

Earlier this week, he fired Sudan's police chief and his deputy, who were seen by pro-democracy groups as close to al-Bashir and his allies.

ETHIOPIA: Nuns Reach Out to Vulnerable Families Amid COVID-19 Crisis

KENYA: Termination of the Unborn is “Homicide”, Bishops React to Proposed Reproductive Health Bill

MALAWI: Justice and Peace, Civil Society Commend Electoral Commission Transparency

AMECEA: Sustainability of Church Media Projects: A New Book Analyses Importance of Adopting Entrepreneurial Approach

UGANDA: SECAM Congratulates Newly Installed Archbishop of Mbarara

VATICAN: Pope Francis Adds Three Invocations to Litany of Blessed Virgin Mary

KENYA: Faith leaders Call for Compliance to Health Safety Guidelines for Reopening of Places of Worship

ZAMBIA: Caritas Zambia Support Bishops on Inclusive Consultation on Constitutional Matters

KENYA: “Uphold Sanctity of Life and Human Dignity,” Bishops Urge Warrying Counties

KENYA: Youths and Children Encouraged to Use Time Wisely Amidst Covid-19 Crisis.

TANZANIA: TEC Provides Corona Protective Equipment to Catholic Hospitals

KENYA: Bishops Encourage Open- air Masses in Guidelines on Re-opening of Public Worship

MALAWI: La Obra Maxima Donates Three Oxygen Concentrators to Pririmiti Hospital

KENYA: Catholic Members of Parliament Reiterate Bishops’ Stance Against Reproductive Health Bill

ZAMBIA: Pope Francis Appoints Rt. Rev. Benjamin Phiri Bishop for Ndola Diocese

VATICAN: New Catholic Directory Offers Guidelines on Evangelization and Catechesis

KENYA: How a Parish in Mombasa Archdiocese is Helping Mitigate the Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic

ZAMBIA: Monze Diocese Appreciates Government Support and Collaboration

KENYA: Inter-faith Council Calls for Preparedness for Safety As Places of Worship Re-open

SUDAN: Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet as Citizens Demand Faster Transition Towards Democracy