AFRICA/KENYA - Cardinal Njue: "Great concern for the presence of two sectarian groups victimizing Catholics"

Wednesday, 11 March 2020 sectaniarism faith extremism

KENYA

2024-04-12
Religion is an instrument of peace and not of war: the conclusions of the seminar in Nairobi promoted by the Dicastery for interreligious dialogue

2024-03-27
Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Eldoret

2024-02-13
Appointment of auxiliary bishops of Nairobi

2024-02-02
President of the Bishop's Conference: "Everyone must respect the rule of law"

2023-12-07
Agricultural workers from Malawi and Kenya are supposed to work in Israeli fields

2023-10-05
Kenyan delegation presents expectations and hopes of Kenyan Catholics at synod

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - "These groups have the features of a worship and use tactics to instil fear with the aim of inculcating their doctrines and applying their practices to the individuals”. In these terms His Eminence Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi, warned the faithful about the existence and the influence of two worship groups in the Archdiocese, which are causing “grave pastoral concern”. In a letter read on Sunday, March 8, in every parish, Cardinal Njue identified a first group known as "Gwata Ndai" and another one whose name is still unknown and has similar features to the Gwata Ndai group.
A special committee, “appointed inside the Presbyterian council whose mandate was to investigate and present a report about the origin, the objectives, the scope of the operations and the effects” of these sectarian groups, has stated that they have targeted Catholic faithful taking advantage of fear and intimidation.
“They instil fear (for example, fear of death and calamities if their teachings are ignored) and the coercion in recruiting new members. The two groups affirm their support for cultural renaissance through the strengthening of traditions and cultural practices, and the restoration of traditional worships”, the Cardinal affirmed in his letter.
The teachings of these groups, similar to a sect, the investigative group has stated, “include some backwards practices as the female circumcision, male chauvinism and the subjugation of women”.
The investigation, which had also the aim of discovering the groups’ impact “on the single Christians, on families, on the Church and the society in general”, has shown “various nefarious effects” with “several cases of disintegration and familiar conflicts, and of emotional and psychological imbalances mainly on women and children”.
“For those who could have fallen prey of those groups’ teachings, I would like to welcome you again in the Church and to assure you the mercy and God’s forgiveness”, Cardinal Njue declares and urges “the priests that could have similar cases in their parishes to reintegrate those who are willing to come back to the Church, to the Christ's flock”.
Cardinal Njue concludes by encouraging the 1.6 million Catholics in Nairobi to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ and His Church and to “avoid the danger of syncretism, the mix between faith and cultural beliefs that are not in line with the Church teachings. Finally, we must avoid the danger of idolatry”.
(L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/3/2020)