A rebel wing of the Catholic church is set to ruffle feathers again by ordaining a priest, to be followed by the ordination of the group’s local leader as a full-fledged bishop.Mr Francis Nyawir will on Saturday be ordained as priest of the Reformed Catholic Church at the Kisumu Social Centre.
It has been a long walk to the pulpit for Mr Nyawir, who studied long and hard to be a Catholic priest, but dropped out along the way, was ex-communicated, and now finds his calling in the controversial splinter group.
From a strict Roman Catholic upbringing — his four brothers all went through seminary — he became an altar boy at his local church.
In 1982 the strapping 20-year-old joined the Apostles of Jesus Seminary in Nairobi for a one-year course, and then returned to the Kisumu Diocese for pastoral work.
About two years later, he went to St Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Bungoma for a diploma in philosophy.
On graduation, he joined St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi for a degree in theological studies.
It is here that he encountered an obstacle. Towards the end of his studies, he got into trouble with the college administration. He says simply that he returned late from a break.
Expelled and with no hope of becoming a priest, he decided to get married as he did not need to be celibate any more.
Several years later, he enrolled at the Apostles of Jesus Scholasticate in Nairobi to complete his education and was awarded a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree by the institution that is affiliated to the Rome-based Pontifical Urbanian University.
Then he set upon picking the pieces of his life, going to South Africa for pastoral work for a year as he soul-searched. When he returned, he had nothing else to do, so he turned to the classroom.
He was employed at Mbeji Academy in Siaya as a Humanities teacher before he moved to Kibos Secondary School.
Religious studies
While at it, Mr Nyawir studied for a Masters of Arts in Religious Studies from Catholic University of East Africa.
In 2005, he moved to Uganda where he landed a teaching job. It is around this time that he heard of the Reformed Catholic Church when he read a newspaper report about Father Gabriel Shiundu, the leader of the Kenyan chapter, who was getting married.
“I wrote to him, called him and eventually visited him,” he recalls.
He was put on probation by the church leadership and asked to form a small Christian community. If successful, he was told, he would be ordained as a priest in the church.
This he did and presently, the community has a membership of 30. This is despite the fact they did not have a priest to dispense Eucharistic celebrations and celebrate Mass.
He is now preparing for new responsibilities as an ordained priest to run a church in Kisumu.
Already, the Reformed Catholic Church leader, Archbishop Dr Raymond Carl has flown into the country to officiate.
“It is not a church of rebels; we recognise the Pope, and carry out all sacraments and Catholic prayers,” Mr Nyawir says.
He still retains friendship with his former colleagues at the seminary though some feel uncomfortable associating with him.
“Our church is viewed as a threat by the Catholic Church and some congregations have been advised against attending our ordination service. This should not be the case since we are serving the same God and building the same kingdom,” he says.
Apart from the difference over marriage, the Reformed Catholic Church differs from its mother church because of its recognition of faith healing, speaking in tongues and other charismatic practices.
“We are also more democratic since lay people are allowed to take part in meetings and their opinions are valued and respected. In such a case a unilateral decision such as the one that led to my excommunication would not occur,” he says.
According to him, the church has a presence in various parts of the country from Bungoma, Kakamega, Kitale and Homa Bay to Nairobi, Eldoret and Machakos.
Mr Nyawir was born at Kondele in Kisumu in November 1962.
He is currently studying online for a PhD in Theology from Terapon University in the US.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Source (DN)
SV (ED)