Don’t expect Pope at ICC prayer rally

Pope Francis hugs a man at the end of his weekly general audience at St Peter's square on October 21, 2015 at the Vatican. Pope Francis has given new life to the social justice agenda and given recognition and a voice to proponents of liberation theology. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • While coast politicians argue about foreign junkets, their constituents spend hours looking for water to bathe their children.
  • Pope Francis has given new life to the social justice agenda and given recognition and a voice to proponents of liberation theology.

The Catholic Church has just released the schedule of Pope Francis’ visit to the country.

I was thrilled to hear that he would visit the parish of Kangemi but would have been absolutely ecstatic had he chosen Bangala, Mombasa, for his meeting with ‘the church of the poor’.

After four successive days without electricity and two weeks without water, the residents might have expected to receive essential services for at least the duration of his visit.

When there is a power outage in Tudor, Nyali, Lavington or Muthaiga, Kenya Power repair within hours and when water is disconnected they switch on their boreholes or order water tankers.

The poor pay the same rate for electricity and water as the rich, but they are the last to be served.

While coast politicians argue about foreign junkets, their constituents spend hours looking for water to bathe their children.

Since health was devolved the poor have only benefited with free condoms and free mosquito nets.

Denying teachers their September salaries and treating a most noble calling with contempt indicates that Jubilee views educators of the nation’s children as ‘half citizens’ while increasing the gap between the one per cent elites and the 99 percent remnants.

Teaching now can be considered a poor profession.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Back to the Pontiff. Everyone expected that he would have one public mass; the question was what else he would include on his pastoral visit.

His decision not to visit Holy Family Basilica or the little Vatican in Karen/Langata sent a strong message to the church and the public.

Instead he has set aside two hours to visit Kangemi and spend time with the ‘urban remnants,’ the victims of ‘an economy of exclusion’ where ‘indifference has been globalised’ at the altars of greed, corruption and profits (words in parentheses are His).

Pope Francis has given new life to the social justice agenda and given recognition and a voice to proponents of liberation theology.

In fact he has liberated theology from the elites and the classroom and given theology and God back to the poor.

He is rethinking what it is to be church with those who have been cast aside.

The poor are not poor in mind or ideas, just excluded from decision making, silenced and neglected.

His theology starts with the experience of the victims, those who carry the burden of an unequal society.

He would want to visit IDPs, therefore, but don’t expect that he would show up at an ICC Prayer session to intercede for the accused.

LIBERATION THEOLOGY
Decades ago, liberation theology focused on military dictatorship and liberation.

Today, the language is of ‘dignity’ that is more a verb than a noun, something active, concerned with decent lives and service delivery.

In the process, it critiques systemic neglect and calls for overhaul of governance that is not accountable or inclusive.

The man of course lives out his message and his humility, integrity and straightforwardness appeal to many non Catholics.

But in a country of 14 million Catholics, the first to heed the challenges he will make must be his faithful, starting with the President and legislators, who consistently show they have never heard of Catholic Social Teaching.