Kenyan leaders, clergy urge citizens to be 'voice of the voiceless' in tribute to Pope Francis
The Apostolic Nuncio revealed that by doing that, they would be taking over from where the late Pope left and truly living out his legacy of humility and speaking for the voiceless.
Archbishop Hubertus van Megen, the Pope's representative in Kenya, has urged all Kenyans to emulate the late Pope Francis by becoming the voice of the marginalised, those who lack rights, the rejected, and those unable to speak out and defend themselves.
Speaking while presiding over a special mass in honour of the late pontiff at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi, the Apostolic Nuncio revealed that by doing that, they would be taking over from where the late Pope left and truly living out his legacy of humility and speaking for the voiceless.
More To Read
- From Vatican to Al-Azhar: The Pope who reached across faiths, inspiring peace in a fractured world
- Speculation swirls on an African successor to Pope Francis
- Pope Francis: Why his papacy mattered for Africa and for the world's poor and margnalised
- Pope Francis: An unconventional pontiff who sought to modernise Catholicism
"Something very symbolic happened, at the end of his life, Pope Francis lost his voice. It was very difficult for him to speak even two, three words. We have seen him on TV on Easter Sunday as he was giving his last blessing; we did not know it was his last blessing, how he struggled in pronouncing those few words, not more than two sentences, and how he was grasping for breath."
The archbishop said the Pope, who had identified with the voiceless, had now become voiceless himself.
"Maybe there is our vocation; if we truly want to pay tribute to him, truly follow in his footsteps, then we should become his voice, as he had been the voice of others, now it is our turn to be his voice," he said at the mass that mirrored similar services held around the world in the lead-up to the Pope's burial tomorrow (Saturday) at the Vatican.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula will represent President William Ruto, who is on a state visit to China, at the funeral.
Speaking on behalf of the head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Ole Sapit as well as other religious organisations in the country, Bishop Jonathan Kabiro of the Nairobi ACK Diocese noted that Pope Francis was a faithful servant not just to Catholic faithful but all humanity at large and called on Kenyans to emulate him by embracing love, peace, unity and justice to all.
Showed mercy to all
"He carried with him great virtue of humility, he was a peacemaker, he showed mercy to all, he was a voice of the voiceless, and he impacted the world in his time. He did not tire at all; he travelled across the world to make the world a better place. We pray that all his efforts in improving the livelihoods of all people of the world will bear fruit across the world he travelled, including our beloved country, Kenya," urged the bishop.
Speaking on behalf of the government and the Judiciary, Chief Justice Martha Koome said the late Pope served with distinction up to his last day, touching on the lives of the people
"We particularly celebrate him here in Kenya for the holy visit he made, and touched many people. The legacy that our Pope had left and the seeds he has planted of love, championing justice, seeking peace, and traversing the entire globe to bring peace to the world. May God give us another servant to carry on the work of our great father, his holiness Pope Francis," she said.
On his part, former President Uhuru Kenyatta confessed that he had the honour to meet Pope Francis twice, with the memories of those two encounters remaining dear to him.
One was during the Pope's visit to Kenya in 2015, when he recalled a moment at his office when the pontiff requested him to excuse him to have a private conversation with an unnamed person who had requested his audience.
"So, for the first time as president, another head of state threw me out of my own office, which I found to be quite incredible, but the most important thing was not even that. Here was a man, a leader of a billion-plus people across the world, but this person whom he chose to engage with, he followed up with them even after he left the country, communicating with the person, engaging with the person. What greater show of humility can you ask from a man, other than that?" he said.
Life of a servant
The former President, who is also a Catholic faithful, echoed the sentiments that the Pope lived a life of a servant, choosing to serve not to be served and of humility, always requesting those he encountered to pray for him and engaging all beyond religious differences.
The mass was attended by senior Catholic Church leaders, including His Eminence John Cardinal Njue and Nairobi Archbishop Philip Anyolo, diplomats, National Security Advisor Monica Juma, former Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) Nancy Baraza, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DCJ Philomena Mwilu, Immigration PS Belio Kipsang, former Attorney General Justin Muturi, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Catholic faithful, and persons from other denominations who were touched by the life and actions of the late pontiff.
Pope Francis died aged 88 on Easter Monday at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, after a month-long period of hospitalisation in Rome. He will be buried tomorrow.
Top Stories Today
