Njue rallies catholics for historic Papal visit
Catholic Church head in Kenya John Cardinal Njue speaks to the press shortly after commissioning 56 women graduates to the Catholic Women Association service at Regina Caeli Karen Catholic Church, Nairobi, on August 10, 2014. Cardinal Njue has asked Catholic faithful to prepare well and give Pope Francis a befitting reception when he visits the country next month. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Pope is scheduled to celebrate a public mass at Uhuru Park, hold a meeting with the youth, attend an inter-religious meeting with Christian, Muslim, Hindu and traditional leaders and visit a yet-to-be-revealed slum to meet the less privileged.
- Catholic faithful will also have a special collection of funds to help in managing the cost of the Pope’s visit. The collections are to be remitted to the Archdioceses.
- This will be the first trip by Pope Francis to Africa. The last Pope to visit Kenya was John Paul II in September 1995.
Catholic faithful have been asked to prepare well and give Pope Francis a befitting reception when he visits the country next month.
Catholic Church head in Kenya John Cardinal Njue, sent the message to all faithful through their respective parishes.
The papal visit will run from November 25 to 27.
The Pope is scheduled to celebrate a public mass at Uhuru Park, hold a meeting with the youth, attend an inter-religious meeting with Christian, Muslim, Hindu and traditional leaders and visit a yet-to-be-revealed slum to meet the less privileged.
State House has termed his visit both as a State and pastoral visit, indicating that he comes to Kenya as the Vatican’s Head of State, and as the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.
Those who wish to attend the Holy Mass on November 26 have been asked to register with their respective parishes for planning purposes.
The parishes will organise their transport to and from Nairobi.
COLLECTIONS KITTY
The same applies to the youths who wish to attend the meeting with the Pope. They have also been asked to register with their parishes and the lists forwarded to the Parish Youth Chapter by October 18.
Catholic faithful will also have a special collection of funds to help in managing the cost of the Pope’s visit. The collections are to be remitted to the Archdioceses.
A national prayer day has also been included in the elaborate preparations.
Cardinal Njue said the measures were discussed and agreed on by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.
This will be the first trip by Pope Francis to Africa. The last Pope to visit Kenya was John Paul II in September 1995.
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic.
His visit to Kenya follows a request made to him by Catholic Bishops in the country during a visit to the Vatican in April. A similar request was also made by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
An itinerary released showed that the Pope would also give a general address to Kenyans and hold bilateral talks with the President, before meeting senior government officials at the United Nations Environmental Programme (Unep) offices where he will also address members of the diplomatic corps.
The Catholic Church is, however, yet to release further details of the Pope’s visit and has promised to do so in due course.
