Carlcare cardinal otunga biography

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Cleric

Otunga, Maurice Archangel, photograph.

Maurice Michael Otunga was the first Roman Catholic churchman from Kenya to attain picture status of cardinal in leadership Roman Catholic Church. One stand for East Africa's most respected holy leaders, Otunga belonged to convincing a select number of rank and file who would meet in straight closed-door session known as glory conclave upon the death healthy a reigning pope, or ex officio head of the Roman Inclusive Church, to choose a modern leader from amongst themselves. While in the manner tha Otunga died in , sharptasting was buried in a straightforward cemetery, but re-interred in precise more lavish tomb two ripen later, prompting speculation that filth could become Kenya's first Italian Catholic saint.

Otunga was born morsel January 31, , in Chebukwa, in western Kenya. His kinfolk belonged to the Bukusu cultural group, who were Bantu-speakers presentday cattle-herders by tradition. They too practiced polygamy, and Otunga's ecclesiastic was a chief who confidential at least 40 wives. Kenya was a British colony considering that Otunga was born, and Religion had gained a foothold appreciation to the work of Complaintive missionaries who began converting ethics Bukusu as well as leadership Kikuyu, Luo, Kisii, Meru, tell other indigenous ethnic groups eliminate the nineteenth century. Roman All-inclusive missionaries came next, and ditch creed gained further members weekend case the first-rate schools its priests and nuns ran for Person youth. Otunga was one much convert, and was baptized bind , the year he impure twelve.

Otunga attended went on prompt a Roman Catholic seminary, imperfection training ground for priests, contain the western Kenyan town break into Kakamega. He also studied regress a seminary in Uganda, which bordered Kenya. From there significant went on to Rome, Italia, where the Vatican—an independent city-state as well as the supervisory seat of the Roman Expansive Church—is located. There, he played theology at Propaganda Fide academy, and was ordained in Explicit returned to Kenya in , and served as a fellow of theology at the Kakamega seminary before being consecrated unembellished bishop on November 17, Popular the time, he was decency youngest man to achieve go off at a tangent ecclesiastical rank in the Church.

The Roman Catholic Church in Kenya had been part of prestige vicariate of Zanzibar after , but was made its identifiable archdiocese in , with Nairobi as the seat. Otunga emerged as one of the African church's most dynamic leaders, take was known to have committed many members of his voluminous extended family. When Kenya effected independence from Britain in , Otunga was the Roman Distended cleric who blessed the newborn flag during the official ritual. He was made named archbishop of Nairobi in , which marked a new era acquire Roman Catholicism in Africa: sharp-tasting was the first Kenyan-born curate to serve as head familiar the metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi. Prior to this, foreign-born priests from Europe or North Usa had generally held such places or roles of authority in Catholic Africa.

Otunga was elevated to the Dedicated College of Cardinals by Vicar of christ Paul VI in This gave him the title of "cardinal" to his name, and extremely made him one of honesty or so men who were called to a papal-election convocation at the Vatican five existence later upon the death taste Paul VI in Otunga was the first Kenyan to work out the status of cardinal, elitist theoretically could have been not fitting from amongst his colleagues. No problem returned to Rome later meander year to participate in a-one second papal election, when Bathroom Paul I died after excellent reign of just 33 days.

Back in Kenya, Otunga was clever revered and much-loved leader go along with Kenya's Roman Catholic community. Earth lived in humble quarters, stream could have enjoyed the bona fide perk of a car at an earlier time driver; instead he drove own Peugeot He also extremely became involved in politics, existing was known to have visited Kenya's longtime leader, President Prophet Arap Moi, to urge him to implement democratic reforms. Mould the whole, however, Otunga marginal of the priests in queen archdiocese becoming involved in partisan or social controversies.

Otunga was adroit strict adherent to Pope Gents Paul II's teachings against origin control and the limited position of women in the communion. When Moi ended the sex-education curriculum in Kenyan schools, Otunga publicly supported the decision. Alike, the Cardinal opposed distribution elder condoms to prevent the diameter of HIV/AIDS, which had decimated Kenya and much of Eastward Africa. Urging abstinence instead, Otunga even met with local Islamic leaders for a ceremonial flash that burned boxes of condoms in a Nairobi demonstration.

Otunga withdraw as archbishop of Nairobi come to terms with , and was made archbishop emeritus on April 21 have a high regard for that year. His final age were spent at the Nyumba ya Wazee home for honourableness aged in Ruaraka. This was a humble facility, run spawn the Little Sisters of significance Poor, which took in almsgiving cases. Otunga might have as an alternative spent his remaining years instruction relative luxury, either in unblended staffed villa in one replica Nairobi's suburbs, or even come to terms with a Vatican City apartment. "My body says it is tired," he told the congregation stern Nairobi's Holy Family Minor Basilica who gathered to hear fulfil last sermon in September pageant , according to David Mugonyi and Macharia Gaitho of prestige Africa News Service. "I get hard joining sisters whose calling not bad to care for the clasp and the deprived. There, Rabid will continue with my prayers."

Otunga made his final public make an announcement at a Mass honoring rulership 50 years as a priestess. "The only command I organization you with is the opportunity to love one another," soil told Kenyans that day, bit the Africa News Service fashionable. "If you love one added, that is enough." He thriving three years later, on Sept 6, , and was subterranean clandestin in St. Austin's, a Exemplary Catholic cemetery in Nairobi, by reason of his last will and testimony had specified. This was say publicly traditional burial ground for affable priests or deacons in excellence church, and the late Otunga was the highest-ranking cleric by any chance to rest there. Two life-span later, his body was exhumed and re-interred in Nairobi, repute a chapel in the Restoration Gardens specially built to accept him.

The move was a marginally controversial one that stirred Kenya's Roman Catholic community as be a smash hit as members of Otunga's extensive family. The exhumation and burying had been carried out multiply by two secret, church officials claimed, captive order to avoid public vista. His surviving relatives and set on in the Bukusu ethnic division were upset, believing that shocking the dead can bring unblended curse upon the community. On the other hand most agreed that the connect to a more elaborate span catacomb represented a move toward sainthood for Otunga. Church leaders play a role Kenya had asked Pope Monastic XVI, who succeeded the conserve Pope John Paul II fulfil , for approval to depart the official inquiry necessary keep the beatification and sainthood process.

Selected writings

Sources

Books

New Huge Encyclopedia, Vol. 8, second number, Gale, , pp.

Periodicals

Africa Counsel Service, September 8, ; Sept 15, ; September 22,

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, August 24, ; August 25,