In visiting Kenya, Pope Francis Meets a catholic church out of Step with the Holy See

His Avant-Garde Papacy has piqued catholic conservatives but endeared him to liberals, especially those of no faith. When he visits Kenya, he will find a Catholic Church unenthusiastic in following his lead.

In a homily on November 19th, Pope Francis remarked;

“We are close to Christmas. There will be lights, there will be parties, bright trees, even Nativity scenes….. It’s all a charade. The world has not understood the way of peace. The whole world is at war. A war can be justified, so to speak, with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war, piecemeal though that war may be — a little here, a little there — there is no justification.”

His unusual solicitude for the world has been a surprising break in habit in a long line of popes. Many of his discourses touch on ongoing world problems such as war, immigration and climate change.

He released a 192-page encyclical arguing for a collaboration between science and religion in combating human-caused climate change.

He played a crucial role in the resumption of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States.

Unlike any other pope before him, he has expressed a warmer, more welcoming inclination towards gay people. In 2013, in a surprising absence of outright condemnation, he remarked in an answer to a question on gay priests;

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

He has constantly broken tradition, ditching the glittery symbols of Papacy and opting for a life of modesty.

He has emphasized on servility to the poor rather than an obsessive focus on issues of abortion, homosexuality and contraception.

A stark contrast in Kenya

The Kenyan catholic church is a chasm away from this evolving ideology.

In recent years its protests against gay rights have risen.

It has been sharply criticized for not playing its role in full to prevent the 2007/08 post election violence. In the years since, the Catholic church’s involvement in governance has continued to slip, abandoning its role in promoting peace and reconciliation.

On climate change, the church has been mum, never getting closer to embracing logical and proven science.

The colonial and post colonial fever that led to the establishment of scores of catholic schools and hospitals especially for the poor has noticeably cooled, with profit motivating new projects launched by the church.

The Pope lands in Nairobi on Wednesday, November 25th. The Kenyan Government has declared the following day a public holiday and a National day of prayer and reflection.

Perhaps the catholic church should take that day to reexamine its position relative to that of its pontiff.