Kenya

After suspending six priests and introducing reforms across the Diocese of Maralal, Bishop Hieronymus Joya has appealed to women not to pursue relationships with Catholic clergy, defending priestly celibacy and warning that priests remain vulnerable to temptation The Bishop of Maralal has asked for women not to pursue relationships with Catholic priests. Bishop Hieronymus Emusugut Joya, I.M.C. made the remarks after introducing disciplinary measures across the Diocese of Maralal and suspending six priests over allegations ranging from adultery to the abuse of ecclesiastical authority, negligence in administration, and the mismanagement of Church property. “For those intending to tempt priests and force them into affairs that go against their beliefs and priestly calling, please stop,” the bishop said. “These priests are human and have feelings. If you convince them, they might fall.” His intervention came as he defended the Church’s expectation of priestly celibacy while addressing recent disciplinary action within the diocese. Referring to priests who maintain relationships or have children, Bishop Joya questioned how they could faithfully fulfil their ministry while carrying responsibilities incompatible with their vocation. “How can you do the business of God when you have private businesses, a woman, and a child to support?” the Kenyan bishop asked. The latest comments follow reforms announced during Mass, when the bishop outlined what he described as a determined effort to restore discipline, accountability and sound governance throughout the northern Kenyan diocese. The disciplinary measures include the suspension of Fr Paul Maina, Fr Peter Musau, Fr Stephen Lekasuyan, Fr Peter Nderitu, Fr Christopher Letikirich and Fr John Dida. According to Bishop Joya, the sanctions were imposed only after credible evidence had been gathered and canonical procedures observed. “I do not accuse any priest without credible evidence,” he said, explaining that he had acted “in accordance with the Code of Canon Law” to safeguard both “the integrity of the priesthood and the proper stewardship of Church property”. The six suspensions represent around 15 per cent of the diocese’s clergy. During his latest remarks, he also disclosed that one of the priests concerned had contributed to the closure of Wamba Hospital, although he did not elaborate further. Alongside the suspensions, Bishop Joya has introduced a series of binding regulations governing priestly life throughout the diocese. Priests are now required to return to their presbyteries by 7.00 pm each evening for community prayer and may not spend the night away from their residence without the bishop’s permission. Overnight stays by lay people in priests’ residences or religious houses have likewise been prohibited unless prior authorisation has been granted. The reforms also tighten expectations surrounding alcohol, financial administration and personal conduct. Priests are forbidden from drinking in bars or consuming alcohol in parish residences, while anyone found intoxicated is barred from celebrating the liturgy. “It is painful to state that I found the diocese with multiple problems, but no one was willing to tell me the cause of the problems and how to get the solution,” the bishop said. Research by A. W. Richard Sipe, based primarily on interviews with North American clergy, estimated that only around 50 per cent of priests were practising celibacy at any given time, with others engaging in sexual relationships with adults. Vincent Doyle has suggested that priests have fathered thousands of children globally among the approximately 415,000 Catholic clergy, indicating that non-adherence is not uncommon, although precise figures are unavailable owing to underreporting and secrecy. In Africa, qualitative reports have documented cases of priests violating celibacy through relationships and fathering children, often with cultural pressures playing a part. A 1988 report from Malawi described local priests impregnating 29 nuns in one women’s congregation. In Kenya’s Samburu region, a priest has previously been linked to fathering a child with a 16-year-old girl. Reports have also documented priests maintaining secret families in various African countries, contributing to breakaway churches of married former priests in Uganda that have attracted thousands of followers. Photo: Ramogi TV. Read more

A bishop has suspended six priests, around 15% of his diocesan clergy, as part of a programme of reforms aimed at strengthening discipline, financial oversight and governance within the diocese The Bishop of Maralal, Kenya, has suspended six priests, around 15% of his diocesan clergy, and introduced a comprehensive programme of disciplinary and administrative reforms. Bishop Hieronymus Emusugut Joya, I.M.C., announced the measures during Mass for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Maralal on 12 July, using the occasion to reflect on nearly four years of episcopal ministry in the diocese and the reforms he believes are required to rebuild confidence in its governance. Addressing clergy and faithful, Bishop Joya unveiled what Radio Mchungaji, a Catholic community radio station serving northern Kenya, described as “a comprehensive pastoral and administrative directive”. The bishop said that when he arrived in the Diocese of Maralal in 2022 he encountered deep-rooted difficulties affecting its administration and finances. “It is painful to state that I found the diocese with multiple problems, but no one was willing to tell me the cause of the problems and how to get the solution,” the bishop said, explaining that the situation prompted extensive efforts to stabilise diocesan finances and improve oversight. According to the bishop, one of his first steps was to convene all the priests of the diocese in December 2022, when agreement was reached that parishes and diocesan institutions would contribute towards resolving financial challenges. While support was forthcoming from many quarters, he indicated that the programme had not enjoyed universal cooperation. Responding to criticism that he had repeatedly appealed for financial assistance, Bishop Joya defended the administration’s stewardship of donated funds. He said money received by the diocese had been used to settle outstanding debts, undertake audits, restructure diocesan systems, strengthen administrative procedures and support development projects across parishes and Church institutions. The bishop also announced the suspension of six priests. Those suspended are Fr Paul Maina, Fr Peter Musau, Fr Stephen Lekasuyan, Fr Peter Nderitu, Fr Christopher Letikirich and Fr John Dida. The suspensions relate to allegations of abuse of ecclesiastical authority, negligence in administration and the mismanagement of the temporal goods of the Church. Bishop Joya stressed that the action had not been taken lightly and insisted that canonical procedures had been followed. “I do not accuse any priest without credible evidence,” the Kenyan bishop said, adding that after receiving reliable information concerning misconduct he had acted “in accordance with the Code of Canon Law” in order to “protect the integrity of the priesthood and the proper stewardship of Church property”. Alongside the disciplinary action, Bishop Joya issued a series of binding directives for all priests serving in the Diocese of Maralal, with immediate effect. The measures cover priestly conduct, financial administration, the use of Church property and daily life within parish communities. Among the most striking changes is the requirement that priests return to their presbyteries by 7.00 pm for evening prayers. Priests are no longer permitted to spend the night away from their residence without the bishop’s permission, while no lay person may stay overnight in a priest’s residence or religious convent unless authorisation has first been granted. The bishop also imposed strict rules concerning alcohol. Priests are forbidden from drinking in bars or consuming alcohol within parish and institutional residences, and any priest who is intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol is prohibited from celebrating the liturgy. Priests are also prohibited from owning or operating private businesses unrelated to the Church, while they are also barred from acquiring property in the names of relatives unless they can satisfactorily demonstrate the legitimate source of the funds involved. Bishop Joya also explicitly prohibited priests from cohabiting or engaging in intimate relationships “with persons of either the opposite or the same sex.” Further administrative directives concern diocesan property and financial governance. Vehicles and motorcycles belonging to the diocese are to be driven only by officially designated personnel, with responsibility for maintenance resting with the parish, institution, office or Church group to which they are assigned. The bishop likewise directed that parish and institutional finances be administered transparently, insisting that finance councils and committees must be allowed to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Parish councils and governing boards are expected to prepare annual budgets and ensure regular audits, while Church leaders and accounting officers are required to comply with both ecclesiastical and civil law. The Diocese of Maralal is relatively small by comparison with many African dioceses, comprising 15 parishes served by 39 priests, including 30 diocesan clergy and nine religious priests. The scale of the suspensions therefore affects a notable proportion of its presbyterate, underscoring the significance of the bishop’s intervention. At the same time as announcing the disciplinary measures, Bishop Joya introduced a number of pastoral appointments intended to strengthen parish leadership. The bishop concluded by urging Catholics to pray for the suspended priests as they enter what he described as a period of reflection on their priestly vocation and ministry. He also asked Catholics throughout the Diocese of Maralal to continue praying for the local Church and for its leadership as it seeks to overcome the difficulties he says have confronted the diocese since his arrival. Bishop Joya views reform not as a single event but as an ongoing process aimed at restoring confidence in diocesan governance while safeguarding what the bishop described as “the integrity of the priesthood and the proper stewardship of Church property.”